


Silver Hearts | Sakusa Kiyoomi

by omikiku



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, F/M, Family, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 71,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24966028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omikiku/pseuds/omikiku
Summary: After spending most of her childhood in America for 6 years, (Y/N) finally returns to Japan. It has been a long time since she visited Japan, and she wonders if her childhood friend, Sakusa Kiyoomi, remembers her. A memory that can't be forgotten. Their bond so deep, it can't be severed. What could possibly go wrong?Sakusa Kiyoomi, a renowned volleyball player. One of Japan's top three aces and the ace spiker for Itachiyama Academy. His memories of (Y/N) were fading away until her sudden return brought back the deepest memories he thought he had forgotten about. A million feelings. A thousand thoughts. A hundred memories. One person. Will he be able to experience those moments and memories again?It's a tale of time.[ON SEMI-HIATUS]
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Reader, Bokuto Koutarou/Reader, Komori Motoya/Reader, Miya Atsumu/Reader, Miya Osamu/Reader, Sakusa Kiyoomi/Reader, Tendou Satori/Reader
Comments: 35
Kudos: 257





	1. prologue

At the early hours, the airport was as serene as it ever was. The people moved with ease, quiet rivers of humanity freshly roused from their slumber. The floors were clean and white, reflecting the early rays and the man-made light the same.

As an adolescent woman walked out the doors of the airport, she could see the sun blooming on the horizon—golden petals stretching ever outwards into the rich blue sky. It has been a long time since she saw the buildings of Tokyo. How many years has it been? Six years?

The spring breeze waltzed through her (H/C) hair, tousling it into buoyant curls. It carried the fragrance of the earth, soft after the washing of the rain and a sweet and steady sense of joy.

Spring was always different in Japan. The air was chilled, making her somewhat shiver. Her parents waved her over as their cab arrived. She swung her backpack over her shoulder and scrambled to the car.

She was going to finally see him again. Would he be able to remember her after all those long years?

_"Don't leave me down here!" The young boy grumbled as he slowly made his way up the hill._

_The late summer breeze danced through the long, earthy grass. Bathed in brilliant summer sunlight, white and pink clover on the hills, the grass grew taller in the meadows as it swayed, rustling as crickets chirp. Boats rose and fell in the lock, and wispy clouds scudding across an azure sky._

_"Then hurry up, slow-poke!" It was just a normal summer day for the two children._

_A young girl vigorously ran up the steep hill, leaving the poor boy at the bottom. She ran through the leaves that hum with life all around. She twirled about, in search of the birds that sang sweetly. The sun broke through the cracks as it lit up the dirt path ahead, decorated with outgrown roots, wildflowers and fallen leaves that crunched beneath her feet_.

_"I don't like it here." The boy had finally caught up with the energetic youth. "What if we get sick?"_

_"We won't, now come on!" She ran up ahead of him as he huffed out in annoyance before running after her. They finally slowed down when they approached a cliff that overlooked the city below them._

_"Wow," her eyes twinkled as she looked down on the city. The young boy didn't understand why she dragged him up here just for this. "It's so pretty!"_

_"I don't understand what's so special-"_

_"Kiyo!"_

_"Alright, alright." He gazed over the city. From so high up, the people looked like ants, while the cars looked like toys. At the cliff they were on, he could clearly see the Tokyo Tower._

_"It's sad that this might be the last time I see this." Her mouth curved into a pout. He had forgotten that she was going to move in a few months. He didn't want it to happen, but there wasn't anything he could do._

_"I'll come back one day, and then we can share this view again!" He nodded at her words._

_"Mm!"_

_"Pinky promise that we'll see each other again?" She held out her pinkie for the boy who eagerly intertwined his, with hers._

_"I promise!"_

Her name was (L/N) (Y/N).

His name was Sakusa Kiyoomi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hihihi! welcome to my Sakusa x Reader fanfic!  
> i really wanted to make a story for sakusa cause this boy deserves so much!! ('͈ ᵕ '͈ )  
> i haven't seen many sakusa fanfics so i decided to start one and fill my soul  
> hope you enjoy! ღ  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me on here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	2. reunion of two souls

Dusk was falling and goosebumps appeared on Sakusa's arms from the evening chill. The green shrubbery now looking almost black silhouetted. He had just finished practice and was about to head home. His arms felt snuff from practice as they were getting ready for the upcoming Kantou Tournament. Ever since he had been going to Itachiyama Academy, they've been able to attend Nationals every year.

He was waiting at the gates for his friend, Komori, who was still in the change room. He was growing impatient as time went by, pacing back and forth.

"Sorry, sorry," Komori called out, jogging towards the gate where Sakusa waited. "I couldn't find my towel so it took me some time to find it."

Sakusa snapped and turned away. "I was just about to leave without you. Did you get the list for the upcoming practice matches?"

"Yep," Komori handed him a sheet filled with information on the upcoming practice matches they had. "Coach really likes to do practice matches, doesn't he?"

"If we don't practice enough, we'll fail."

Komori sighed out. "You're as negative as ever..."

"I am not negative-"

His statement was cut off when he heard someone suddenly call his name. "Kiyo?"

A nickname that he hasn't heard in 6 years. No one else calls him that except for that one girl, but she couldn't be here. She left a long time ago, why would she suddenly be back?

He turned to the voice where he saw a young lady around his age. Her face was so similar to hers, bright and warm. A face filled with joy.

Her flabbergasted expression was the very same ever since he last saw her. She donned an oversize white t-shirt that was tucked into her blue, loose jeans and accompanied by white sneakers. He had a feeling that it was her, but it felt all too unexpected.

"Is it really you?" She whispered out. (Y/N) only wanted to check out the school she was going to attend until she saw someone that resembled Sakusa. His appearance changed, his hair grew much longer and curlier. From what she was seeing, he seemed like a giant. The last time she saw him, he was the same height as her.

"(Y/N)?" Sakusa breathed out, slightly muffled by his mask. His eyes widened in surprise, dropping the paper he was holding before running towards her. Sakusa pulled her into a gentle embrace with her head only reaching up to his shoulder. Her presence felt familiar to him. "It really is you."

(Y/N) was taken aback by the sudden contact Sakusa had made. She could feel time stop as she leaned into the warm hug. After 6 years, she had finally found him. His hug showed how much he missed her, and the yearning desire to see her again. His presence was intimate as he emitted a comforting scent. She wrapped her hands around his tall build and relaxed her head onto his chest. 

"I'm back Kiyo."

Komori watched from afar and stood in silence, not wanting to ruin the moment for the two. He was unbelievably shocked at Sakusa suddenly running off. He had never seen him do something impulsive since the spiker has always been prudent about his actions. After seeing him hug someone, Komori was amazed. Sakusa had never touched anything unnecessary, he was disgusted by the germs that they might possess, but now he's hugging someone? Just who was that girl?

Sakusa and (Y/N) finally broke the hug and faced the now smiling Komori who waved as if nothing happened. "Don't mind me, just keep doing your thing. It's quite an enjoyable sight."

Sakusa furrowed his brows at Komori's remark while (Y/N) giggled and tugged on Sakusa's sleeves. "Are you busy right now? Let's catch up sometime!"

"I was just about to go home, but I don't mind going somewhere to catch up."

As if it was on cue, Komori popped up beside the both of them and beamed. "Let's go to a nearby café!"

Sakusa grumbled at his suggestion. The thought of the germs inside the shop made him shiver, and he decided to only go because of (Y/N).

"That sounds great! Ah, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm (L/N), (Y/N), nice to meet you!"

"Komori Motoya at your service!" He bowed to her at which she waved off.

After a short walk, they arrive in front of a small coffee shop that was moderately busy. As Komori and (Y/N) walked in, Sakusa stood outside and stared at the crowd that formed inside. He huffed out a breath full of displeasure before forcing himself in. They found a spot near the window and sat down, while Sakusa stayed standing.

"When did you come back?" Sakusa asked.

"Just a few hours ago. I wanted to check out the school I would be attending and unexpectedly found out you two also go to the school."

Komori grinned at (Y/N). "You're going to love it here at Itachiyama Academy!"

After a few hours of talking, the sky had already turned dark, and the shop only had a few people left inside. The street lights had turned on, and the crickets start chirping.

"You played volleyball in America? That's cool!" Komori was really into the conversation. "We should play sometime."

"I'm not that good though," (Y/N) laughed out. "I only played it for two years before quitting.

"Good old Sakusa here can help! He is one of the three aces in Japan after all." He jabbed his thumb in the direction of Sakusa who turned his head to the side and murmured something along the lines of helping anytime she asked.

Komori abruptly jumped out of his seat and glanced outside. "Ah, it's already dark outside. I better head home before my mom starts scolding me."

He slung his backpack over his shoulder before giving the two a wave. "Well, see you guys tomorrow!" The door chimed as he left, leaving Sakusa and (Y/N) together.

"Let me walk you home, it's unsafe for a lady to walk by herself in the dark," Sakusa offered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's on my way back anyway."

(Y/N) smiled at him before getting up from her seat. They began to walk in silence where the air grew thick. 

"So, how was your time in America?" Sakusa asked, breaking the ice.

"Well, I learned a lot of things like English."

"That's nice."

After resuming a few moments of silence, (Y/N) finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry I never tried to reach out to you," she said while fumbling with her thumbs. "I missed you a lot though, Kiyo!"

"It's fine, it's not like you could do anything about it," he replied coldly.

They finally stop in front of a stone path that had ivy and ferns growing through the crevices of an old winding stone path, which led directly to the petite structure. (Y/N)'s mom spotted them through the window and flung the door open.

"Welcome back (Y/N), who's the young man beside you?"

(Y/N) almost forgot how much Sakusa must've changed in her mom's eyes. "It's Kiyo."

"Kiyoomi-kun? Oh my, you're so tall now!" (Y/N)'s mom walked up to them and inspected Sakusa.

"Hello (L/N)-san," Sakusa greeted and slightly bowed.

"Come join us for dinner. I'm sure (Y/N) has a lot to talk about!"

"Okaa-san. I'm sure he needs to go home now. We have school tomorrow." (Y/N) crosses her arms before giving Sakusa an apologetic look.

"Maybe next time, Kiyoomi-kun? We can invite your family over too. It'll be a good reunion."

"I'm sure my family will be happy to see your family. Thank you for the invitation. It's getting late so I must go now. Have a good evening." Sakusa bowed to (Y/N)'s mom before facing (Y/N).

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He placed his hand in his pocket and turned away to leave.

"Ah, Sakusa-kun has grown up very well. I can't wait to have grandchildren-"

"Okaa-san!"

"I was kidding. Now let's go back inside before you catch a cold," she says to (Y/N) and walked back into the house.

(Y/N) looked up at the sky. The breeze blew cool chills, making her shiver a bit. The sky above was cloudless and revealed the stars that twinkled in the midnight velvet region. It was rare to see the stars in America as it was always cloudy and blocked the view, but here, she could see it all so clearly.

What a serendipitous encounter (Y/N) had today. She didn't expect to see him on the first day back and was satisfied to see how much Sakusa had grown over the years.

"(Y/N)!" Her mother shouted out, making her snap out of her ruminations.

It was only the beginning of their story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm having too much fun writing for this guy, it's kind of unhealthy (ᵕᴗ ᵕ⁎)  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me on here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	3. star of the school

The next day came quicker than expected for (Y/N) with all the unpacking and settling in. She walked through the gates of the academy to be greeted by Komori, who happened to be waiting there.

"Good morning, (Y/N)! Today's a nice day, isn't it?"

It was mid-May in Japan and the weather there was marvellous. The sky was filled with fluffy clouds that almost resembled cotton candy. Between clouds that promised rain, was a river of blue.

"Yes, it's very nice today." The breeze blew through her hair as if it was singing a song. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Sakusa stride past them without a glance, mumbling something under his mask. He looked grouchy.

"Good morning, Kiyo!" She called out to him who swiftly looked over his shoulder. After a grumble of good morning, he resumed his way towards the school building.

"Don't mind him, (Y/N). He's always like that," Komori reassured. "He doesn't like mornings very much."

" _So he still doesn't like mornings,"_ (Y/N) thought to herself and smiled. The memories of their childhood flooded back. They would regularly have sleepovers at each other's house on the weekends which their parents didn't mind.

_"Kiyo, wake up!" It was already in the Sakusa household. (Y/N) had stayed for the night and was already awake and ready to play._

_"Five more minutes," Sakusa groaned out. He disliked the mornings, they always ruined his peaceful sleep._

_(Y/N) continued to shake him before plopping onto the floor in defeat. She was bored out of her mind and Sakusa wasn't helping. She then smiles to herself when a magnificent idea popped into her mind._

_She crept over to where Sakusa was, staring at his still figure. He was in deep slumber with his soft snores filling the room._

_Suddenly, (Y/N) pounced onto the bed and tickled the figure who squirmed around uncontrollably._

_"I'm going to tickle you awake!"_

_After a few minutes of laughter, Sakusa sat up with his hair all over the place. He was wide awake now, thanks to (Y/N). He looked over to where she was and also saw that her hair was dishevelled._

_"Aw man, now I have to comb it again."_

_"That's your fault for tickling me," Sakusa remarked and crossed his arms._

_"Hey! Well, at least you're awake now," she laughed out and soon, Sakusa joined in._

"Well, I better get going, or I'll be late for my first day!" She waved at Komori, who waved back and started heading towards her class.

As she found her way to her classroom, she could hear the chatter of students inside. Class 2-2.

(Y/N) took a deep breath before sliding the door open and entering. No one paid any particular attention to her and kept doing whatever they were carrying out. Many of them were out of their seats and talking to their friends while some were scrambling to finish their homework.

She soon found an empty seat at the back of the class near the window and sat down. She stared out the window until the teacher finally arrived.

He looked like a man around his late 40s with round glasses and dark hair. He cleared his throat, and everyone eventually quieted down. The class president then stood up and ordered everyone to greet their teacher.

"Good morning, Tsukiyama-sensei."

He motioned for them to sit down before clearing his throat.

"As you all may already know, we have a new student here," he motioned for (Y/N) to stand.

"Hello, I'm (L/N), (Y/N). It's a pleasure to meet you all," she says before sitting back down. You could tell she was nervous, and it was true. Japanese schools were different from the ones in America, so she was scared she would mess up and end up embarrassing herself.

"She just came back from America, so please treat her nicely." The teacher announced before turning to the chalkboard to write the textbook pages.

After a few classes, the bell rung indicating that lunchtime had arrived. (Y/N) lets out a breath of relief before placing her book into her backpack. A group of girls approached her, interested in her background and life in America.

"Hi there (L/N)-san, I'm Hiraoka Nanami! I heard you studied in America, what's it like?" Her eyes glimmered with curiosity.

(Y/N) began talking about her time in America to the girls, not paying attention to the time that had passed.

"So, you're fluent in English?" Hiraoka asked (Y/N).

"Technically, I am, but I'm not the greatest at it," she laughed out.

"That's so cool! Can you teach me someday? I'd love to learn more English!"

"Sure."

News of (Y/N) spread throughout the school like wildfire. By the time school was about to end, almost half of the school knew about her.

Sakusa strode through the halls, trying to avoid the mass of people. He overheard the news about (Y/N). Despite his always irritated persona, he was glad that she was able to make friends so easily. He didn't have to worry about her not making friends. It was clear she was able to do it with her interactions between Komori and herself.

However, his ears perked up when he overheard a group of boys talking about (Y/N).

"(L/N)'s pretty cute, she has a nice ass and body."

"Man, you should ask her out. She can't reject your great looks."

"Maybe I should."

Sakusa decided that he wanted to hear no more of their dirty talk and walked up to the boys.

He was disgusted at how they talked about her. Being 189 cm had its pros and cons, but it was useful when it came to confronting someone as he towered over the two boys. His height was intimidating, and along with his glare, it sent chills down whoever messed with him.

"S-Sakusa-san! Fancy seeing you here!" One of the boys yelped out.

"You guys are utterly pathetic talking about a girl like that. It disgusts me how you're talking about her body. Dirty men like you don't deserve her." Sakusa glared at the two with a frown that formed under his mask.

It sent the two nervous boys away who shouted apologizes as they ran. Sakusa was usually calm and collected. He didn't like engaging in any confrontations, but when he heard them talking about (Y/N) in such manner, he couldn't help himself but rebuke them. He wasn't known to confront anyone as no one dared to provoke the already irritated man.

"Hm? What do we have here?"

"I never knew you were confrontational, Sakusa." Komori walked over and hovered his hand over Sakusa's shoulder as if he was holding onto his shoulder. He enjoyed the sight when Sakusa went to confront the two boys. It was a new side to him.

"I'm not. I didn't like how they were talking about (Y/N), that's all."

"Aw, how cute. Anyways, I'm going to hand in my homework before going to practice. I'll see you later then!" And with that, Komori left Sakusa alone.

"Why you little-"

Sakusa stood there to collect his thoughts before heading towards the gymnasium for practice. He stopped in his track when he heard (Y/N) call for him.

"Kiyo!"

He glanced over his shoulder to see her running towards him with her bag on her shoulder that bounced as she ran.

"I wanted to catch up with you before you left."

"I have practice."

"Oh, I'll wait for you to finish then!" She cheerfully replied.

"You don't have to-"

"But I want to."

"Practice ends late." Sakusa briskly turned away to face the doors.

"I don't have anywhere I'm required to go, so it'll be fine."

"Fine." He says, caving in to her plea. He didn't want to put up a fight knowing that it'll go on forever since she was as stubborn as a mule.

"Yay!"

He walked towards the gymnasium with (Y/N) trailing from behind. He didn't mind her waiting for him, but he didn't want her to waste her time watching him practice when she could've been doing something better.

It wasn't like it was going to harm her if she went to watch him practice. It could teach her a few things about volleyball too.

And maybe he'll do better during practice with her around, who knows. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we stan a gentleman :)  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me on here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	4. grand entrance

When Sakusa and (Y/N) walked into the gymnasium, her face contorted in amazement at the display in front of her.

The ceiling was unbelievably high, and there were numerous amount of windows along the wall, letting in a generous amount of natural light, illuminating the gymnasium.

Sakusa told (Y/N) to sit on the bleachers while waiting for his practice to finish. He walked off to the change room and left (Y/N) in her thoughts.

She went to find a seat on the bleachers and watched them set up the nets. The gym seemed big enough to have two volleyball courts, while most other schools were only able to fit one. It was impressive to her.

Sakusa's teammate, Matsushima*, took notice of (Y/N)'s presence and slyly grinned. "I never knew Sakusa got a girlfriend."

Yoneda* finished tying the net up before looking at (Y/N). "Oh, she's the new student in our school. She's already built quite the reputation for herself since half the school knows her name already."

"It's still surprising to see Sakusa's able to get a girl with his personality," they snickered out. "But have you ever seen the amount of love letter he gets every day? I'm jealous of that guy."

Komori, who overheard it, stepped in between them and patted their backs. "Now, now, let's not tease Sakusa about this. You know how he is-"

"Who?" Sakusa walked out the change room, all changed, and with his towel slung over his shoulder. He had heard only a fraction of their conversation but didn't know they were talking about him.

"What about (Y/N)?" His voice rang out, irritated.

"U-Uh, nothing! Let's go practice before coach scolds us for standing around," Matsushima yelped out. He didn't want to irritate Sakusa furthermore and undergo his wrath.

"Okay." With that, they left the conversation to begin practice. They started stretching before starting their drills. They first began with serving drills. The sound of balls bouncing echoed through the gym as balls flew over the net from both directions. After finishing their serves, they began to do spiking drills.

(Y/N) watched with admiration as Sakusa flicked his wrist. His wrist was unusually flexible, making his shots extremely precise.

She watched as someone tried to receive it, only to have it bounce off his arm and out of bounds. His spikes had hard-to-receive spins, and Komori was the only person able to take it on.

As Sakusa spiked, he felt a sudden urge to show-off to (Y/N) and bounced* the ball. He glanced at her for a reaction and to see her face glow in amazement.

Her reaction almost made him smile. He didn't show any form of feedback whenever he scored, but this time, he could feel a tiny bit of his pride spike up. By the time practice ended, everyone was drenched in sweat and out of breath.

"Why does Sakusa seem like he's trying more than usual today?" Yoneda asked Komori. They both were taking down the nets and poles.

"Hm, what do you think?" Komori cheekily smiled.

"Is it because of (L/N)-san sitting over there?" He pointed over to where (Y/N) was with his thumb. She was too busy on her phone to notice.

Yoneda had never seen Sakusa practicing as hard as today since the latter would never use any energy that wasn't needed.

"Maybe," Komori could only reply with a grin before leaving to drag the nets back into the storage room. It was already when practice ended.

The sun sank lower in the sky, the light of day draining away, giving way to the velvety dark of night. Crickets chirping, dusky colours subdued in the fading light, and street lights clicked on.

When Sakusa went to change, he could only think of the reaction (Y/N) gave when she saw him spike. Was he going crazy?

He took great pride in his spikes but never showed much whenever he scores. Sakusa knew that he was one of the top three aces, but when he also knew that (Y/N) was watching, his spikes felt more to him. He placed his sweat-drenched clothes in his bag before putting on his mask and walking out the locker room.

When he got outside, he saw his coach speaking to (Y/N). They both were laughing, but the smile she put on, dazed him. (Y/N) saw Sakusa walk out the change room and waved him over, snapping him out of his daze.

"Good work today, Sakusa," the coach told him before leaving the gym.

Sakusa looked at (Y/N), who was still smiling.

"What did he say to you?"

"Your coach offered me to be a manager for your team," she snickered. "Doesn't that sound great?"

Sakusa raised his eyebrow at her words. "Are you going to accept it?"

"Do you think I should?" (Y/N) brushed a strand of hair off her face and grinned when she caught Sakusa staring.

"It's up to you," he shrugged before walking away, "Let's go now. It's getting dark."

(Y/N) skipped happily beside Sakusa while humming a tune. "Oh, also, congrats on making it to the Kantou Tournament*! I'm sure the team will do well!"

Sakusa snuck a glance at her; usually, someone so bright and bubbly would annoy him, but he enjoyed (Y/N)'s company. It was different to him. It was pleasant to know that someone so dear to him was around.

_"(Y/N) as a manager..."_ he thought to himself. It would mean she would be around more, which he didn't mind. It was better than someone troublesome.

(Y/N) was the only exception he'd take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bounce (volleyball term) - A hard hit straight down.
> 
> Matsushima, Hiroyuki (An OC) - 2nd year middle blocker. Despite his playful personality, his instincts are on point, and is another reason for Itachiyama's many points and victories. He has a fast reaction and he is highly observant (show how he notices (Y/N) while everyone else doesn't or don't care). He gets serious when the game starts. 192 cm. Jersey number: #2
> 
> Yoneda, Kou (An OC) - 3rd year wing spiker. He's laid-back but likes teasing once in a while. Like Komori, he looks out for the team. His spikes are powerful (not as powerful as Ushijima though) and can easily blow through blocks. 186 cm. Jersey number: #4
> 
> Kantou Tournament (an event that didn't actually happen in the anime or manga) - Usually held at the end of May or the beginning of June. Qualifiers are needed and only the top 12 teams of the prefecture can move onto the main tournament.
> 
> 50 teams - 12 teams from Tokyo, 6 from Saitama, 6 from Chiba, 4 from Ibaraki, 8 from Kanagawa, 4 from Gunma, 4 from Yamanashi, 4 from Tochigi, and 2 more from the hosting prefecture.
> 
> An elimination tournament played over two days. Day 1: First round, Second round, Third round; Day 2: Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals. Hosting prefecture changes every year.
> 
> a shorter chapter this time, sorry! but we're close to the first arc of the story (≧∇≦)  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me on here <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	5. the blooming of wisteria

Wisterias are one of the most popular spring flowers in Japan. The elegant purple beauty starts blooming mid to late spring, mostly May or June, in most places. An annual celebration is held to commemorate the blooming.

The weekend had arrived along with the festival. With nothing else better to do, (Y/N) invited Komori and Sakusa to attend the festival with her.

(Y/N) looked through the window to see Komori and Sakusa waiting for her on the sidewalk. Sakusa was brooding away while Komori was laughing.

"Be home by four, dear!" Her mother called out.

"I will okaa-san!" She slipped on her sneakers and slung her bag over her shoulder before running off to greet them.

"Thanks for agreeing to go!" (Y/N) smiled at the two.

"No problem! I was about to go anyways," Komori replied before pointing his finger at Sakusa. "But I'm surprised you were able to get this guy to go. He doesn't like crowds, after all, how did you do it?"

(Y/N) laughed. "At first he said no, so I bribed him with anmitsu*. I promised to make it for him after."

"Sakusa like sweets? That's so cool! I thought he hated sweets or anything in general."

Sakusa scowled at the two and started walking ahead of them. "Let's go before I change my mind."

(Y/N) and Komori chuckled between themselves before jogging to catch up with Sakusa, who was far ahead of them. His shoulders slumped, and his hands stuffed in his pockets. He wasn't going to enjoy it. He wanted to go home.

"So (Y/N), I heard coach asked you to be the manager," Komori says while placing his hand on the back of his head. "Are you going to do it?"

"Hm, I'm still thinking about it. What do you think, Komori?"

"You would be a great asset to our team! But I'll respect your decision if you choose not to do it."

"I think I'll do it. I'll get to see you guys in action closer!" (Y/N) grinned.

They finally arrived at the festival where the crowd was massive. She could hear the cheering and chatter fill the chilled air. Sakusa emitted an aura of disapproval while mumbling, "I want to go home. I want to go home."

"Sorry for dragging you here Kiyo. I know how much you hate crowds, so I'll be quick about it."(Y/N) patted his shoulder, which relieved him a bit, but not enough to be comfortable.

"I hate it here. You never know how many germs people carry around." Sakusa murmured out, but (Y/N) had already run off to see the wisterias.

"Wow," she breathed out and twirled around. "I never get to see this in America. I miss it."

"I see this every year, but it never fails to amaze me," Komori laughed out. "It seems like you're enjoying it unlike that guy over there."

He turned to face Sakusa, who was moping beside a tree that was far away from the crowd. His eyes urged them to finish up quickly, and luckily, (Y/N)'s stomach began to growl.

"Uh, oh. I didn't have lunch yet, so my stomach is complaining."

Komori snickered. "Let's get something to eat then."

"Ah wait, I made bentos for all of us though cause I know how much Sakusa hates eating out with the germs."

"Wow, really? Thanks (Y/N)! Let's go to that hill over there to eat away from the crowd." Komori pointed towards a hill that was illuminated by the sun.

"Sure!"

They climbed the hill with ease before the two plopped down onto the fresh grass while Sakusa leaned against the tree instead. (Y/N) handed the two boys their bentos before opening up hers.

The scent of her chicken karaage wafted through her nose. Her mouth was watering for the food. Her bento had rice with a pickled plum on top, tamagoyaki, chicken karaage, and a small salad.

"Thank you for the food!" She said before digging into her food. Sakusa calmly watched in silence as (Y/N) ate while eating his own. He had to admit that her bento tasted pretty good. He was also looking forward to her anmitsu since she knew what he liked in it.

"You're good at cooking," Komori mumbled out in between bites. "This is really good!"

"You think so? Thanks!"

(Y/N) was the first one to finish, and placed her bento box onto the grass. "I'm stuffed."

Sakusa noticed a piece of rice sticking onto her cheek and went up to her to wipe it off with his thumb. "You eat like a pig."

"Hey!" (Y/N) pouted and crossed her arms. Sakusa hand was still on her cheek, and they began staring at each other in silence for an abnormal amount of time. Sakusa was too busy looking into her gentle (E/C) orbs. He could feel himself get hypnotized by her eyes. The way her orbs shined reminded him of the summer warmth.

(Y/N) was also memorized by his eyes. His eyes were black, not soulless nor lifeless. Instead, they were like two pure stones of onyx that lit up with a purple flare when touched by candlelight.

Komori looked back and forth between the two. He could feel the awkwardness fill the air and shook his head. "Um, I'm still here."

They both snapped out of their trance and turned to look at Komori. (Y/N) looked at him then back at Sakusa, who was unusually close to her face. 

She froze and felt his warm breath through his mask while her ears radiated heat like a hot pan.

Sakusa noticed her cheeks becoming red and frowned. "Are you sick?"

(Y/N) stuttered around and cupped her cheeks. Why was she getting flustered?

After a few deep breaths, the tension between the two went back to normal. Sakusa was still concerned if she was sick, but after (Y/N) reassured him that she wasn't, he shrugged it off.

Komori found himself dumbfounded at their obliviousness. He was mentally face-palming as he watched the two interact. He was confident that (Y/N) understood what was happening, but Sakusa, on the other hand, seemed to be in the dark.

After (Y/N) finished cleaning up, she whipped out her phone to see that it was. It was far past the time her mother asked her to be back.

"It's 5! I have to get going before my mom kills me!" She panicked and stuffed the containers into her bag.

"Thank you for a good time," she yelled out to both of them before running off and leaving the two boys together.

Komori's eyes caught something shiny on the grass before bending down to see what it is. He picked up a lustrous bracelet with delicate, dreamy blue engravings lying. "I think (Y/N) dropped this."

Sakusa moved over to take a closer look. A single azure jewel was encrusted at the center of it, glimmering in the light. It looked like something (Y/N) would own. "I'll bring it back to her."

"Huh?" Komori looked at Sakusa in bewilderment before placing it into his outstretched hand. 

"Okay, then, I'll trust you with it."

"Are you implying that I'm not trustworthy?"

"No, no. I think you should return it instead of me," Komori halfheartedly laughed. "(Y/N) would be grateful if you did."

"Of course, I will return it. Why would I keep it?" His tone was now more abrasive.

Komori gave out a weary sigh. "Nevermind."

Sakusa quirked an eyebrow but let it slide. "Then I'll be going now. I don't want to stay any longer around other people's germs."

He trotted down the hill and disappeared from Komori's sight. Komori sighed in relief and fell flat onto the grass.

Sakusa always took everything seriously, which he admits, wasn't bad. But sometimes, he wished that Sakusa would be more easygoing. How was he going to make friends with his prickly personality?

Though, Komori had to admit that Sakusa's been less prickly around (Y/N). Maybe she will help him out.

What happened to Sakusa's anmitsu:  
( Sakusa forgot about his anmitsu until he got home. Poor dude was sad for the rest of the day. )  
.  
.  
( But (Y/N) remembered and brought him some the next day :') )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the scenario sounded better in my head than when i wrote it ಠ_ಠ  
> i don't like sad sakusa. sad sakusa makes me sad
> 
> *Anmitsu - Anmitsu is a classic Japanese dessert that includes an assortment of ingredients such as anko, agar jelly, mochi, chestnuts, sweet beans, fruits and boiled peas with a side of sweet black syrup as a topping.   
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	6. kantou tournament I

Half a month passed, and June arrived. The Kantou Tournament was just around the corner, and the Itachiyama boy's volleyball club was training hard. (Y/N) had accepted the position as the boy's volleyball club's manager, it made the lives of the boys easier.

"Good work today, guys!" (Y/N) handed each of them their water bottles. "At this rate, you're gonna breeze through the Kantou Tournament."

"Your words of encouragement bring me to tears," Matsushima wiped a fake tear off his cheeks at which (Y/N) laughed.

"But don't let my words get to you. We still have a lot to work on."

**• • •**

The day the Kantou Tournament was held had arrived, and the team was more than ready. It was being hosted in Kanagawa at the Kawasaki Todoroki Arena, which was about 30 minutes away from Tokyo. While the boys filed out the bus, (Y/N) couldn't help but gawk at the arena.

"Oh yeah, this is your first time attending an official match, right (Y/N)?" Komori laughed at her expression.

"Y-Yeah!"

"Don't worry about it, just stay calm, and it'll be fine!"

As the team walked into the arena, (Y/N) froze on the spot. On the outside, it didn't look big, but when she walked in, it looked ten times the size of their gym! She had done a bit of research at home, and apparently, the arena could hold four volleyball courts and had a bunch of space for spectators.

"Oi (Y/N), don't just stand there. You'll get lost," Sakusa promptly advised her before walking off.

"R-Right!"

They found a spot to leave their bags before each of them went off to change. Sakusa was the first one back, followed by Komori.

"You're back!" (Y/N) smiled at the two of them.

"I went to change before anyone else could fill the room with germs," Sakusa says, and walked closer to (Y/N). "When's our first match?"

(Y/N) dug around her back before pulling out a clipboard with sheets of paper clipped on. "We're the second match of the day against Ubugawa High on Court B."

"Ubugawa..." Komori breathed out.

"What about them?"

"I heard they're pretty good at jump serves," Komori scratched his head. "But it's nothing we can't handle since we have you cheering for us!"

"Stop standing around. Let's go," Sakusa turned away and started heading to where Court B was.

(Y/N) watched from the side as different teams practiced. She wasn't going to lie, but everyone here was intimidating. They towered over her, with only a few being the same height. They arrived at Court B where Nekoma was playing the first match against a team from Saitama. Sakusa stared in silence as if he was analyzing them.

"Oh?" (Y/N) took notice of the Nekoma captain. His hair resembled a rooster, but beneath that, she could see him scheming away. She watched as he effortlessly blocked the opposition's spikes and provoked them with his face.

"Let's go, (Y/N)," Sakusa called out to her. She was too captivated by the match between Nekoma and the school from Saitama to notice that it had finished.

"Coming!" She looked back once more at Nekoma. The captain of Nekoma caught her staring and grinned. (Y/N) jolted in shock before running off to catch up with Sakusa. His gaze was going to be the end of her.

Once the court had cleared out, the Itachiyama boy's team entered. They were the first ones there and had time to practice their spikes. (Y/N) watched as Sakusa spiked the ball into the ground. It was an addictive sight.

She snapped out her trance when someone walked up to her and cleared their throat. "Hi, there! I'm Miyanoshita, Eri! I'm the manager of the Ubugawa boy's volleyball team! You must be the new manager of the Itachiyama boy's volleyball team!"

Miyanoshita extended her hand to (Y/N) and gave her a friendly shake. "I'm (L/N) (Y/N)! Nice to meet you!"

After the brief encounter, the match had begun, and Ubugawa High was serving. They delivered a hard jump serve, which Yoneda received. Iizuna* sets it to Sakusa, who spiked it off the blockers, gaining their first point of the match.

"Yeah!"

It was now 16-10 with Itachiyama in the lead. As Goura from Ubugawa High goes up for a spike, he gets blocked by Matsushima, making the score, 17 to 10.

"Total shut down!" Matsushima yelled out before high-fiving Komori.

"Nice one, Matsushima!"

Itachiyama had won the first match with 25 to 20. They were now starting the second match. (Y/N) handed Sakusa's water bottle as he thanked her.

"Keep up the good work, Kiyo!" (Y/N) twinkled. Sakusa didn't reply with anything, but inside, he could feel his confidence grow.

It was now 18 to 15 with Itachiyama in the lead again. Yoneda slammed the ball through the two-man block, which gained them another point.

"Nice one, Yoneda-san!" (Y/N) cheered from the bench.

Yoneda smiled back at her before Matsushima gave him a hard pat on the back. "Yeah!"

They finished the round with two consecutive wins from Itachiyama. They won the first match with 25 to 20 and the second, 25 to 18.

"You guys did great out there!" (Y/N) says as she hands Komori his towel. She felt so much energy flow through her despite not playing. Just watching them play was enough to pump her up.

"Thanks (Y/N)!" Matsushima beamed as he wiped his sweat. Since they had won the first round, they were able to advance to the second.

The second round arrived faster than expected as the match before ended ahead of schedule. The boys walked onto the court with pride.

After their first round, they could still feel the adrenaline flowing through them. Itachiyama's next opponent was Nohebi Academy.

(Y/N) overheard the conversation Nohebi Academy was having. "We're going against really tenacious and formidable rodents."

She frowned at the word "rodents." They were weasels*, not rodents. She heard about Nohebi's trash talking. They would act as if they were polite and had good sportsmanship when they actually often trash-talk their opponents. It was infuriating.

"But we can be as tenacious and crush them!"

(Y/N) almost choked on her spit when they said "crush."

As Yoneda prepared to serve, the captain of Nohebi shouted something out. "#4 will probably miss!"

The team continued with, "#2 blocks are like chopsticks," and "#10 can't hit a cross-shot."

Sakusa paid no attention to their provocation and stayed focus, but Matsushima was infuriated. "What'd ya say?!"

Komori patted him on the back and told him to pay no heed. They were only trying to make him mess up after all. After Matsushima understood that they were only trying to mess him up, he became serious and didn't want to fool around anymore. "Bring it on!"

It was 21-13 with Itachiyama in the lead. Sakusa felt oddly into the game, and Komori suggested it was probably because of (Y/N) presence. Her words did make him feel more confident, maybe Komori was right. They quickly ended the first match with 25-15 and began their second.

Komori flawlessly passed the ball to Iizuna after it went haywire from a block. It was 24-19. Iizuna sends it Sakusa, who hits a line shot straight into Nohebi's libero. Nohebi's libero thought he was in the perfect position to receive the ball only to have it flying off his arm and out of bound. 25-19. That was the power of Japan's number one high school libero and one of the country's top three aces.

"I don't like Nohebi Academy." (Y/N) was fuming after the match. Not only did they try to provoke the team, but the referee also didn't care about their words. It was so unfair.

Sakusa placed his hand on her shoulder. "We beat them, that's all that matters."

(Y/N) was about to reply until she got cut off with someone calling out her name. "(Y/N)-san?"

She turned around to see Akaashi walking up to them. "Keiji-san! Long time no see!"

"I see you have returned from America. How was it? You took care of yourself, right?"

"I did, I did. Don't be such a worrier! You sound like a grandma!" (Y/N) snickered as Akaashi turned to face Sakusa.

"Ah, hello there, Sakusa-san." He slightly bowed his head to Sakusa, who ignored it.

"..."

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Who's this, Akaashi?" Bokuto appeared from behind Akaashi's back and stared at (Y/N) a bit too eagerly, making her squirm.

"(Y/N)-san this is Bokuto-san." He introduced Bokuto, who replied with a "hey, hey, hey!"

"Bokuto-san, this is my cousin (Y/N)-san."

Sakusa could feel his eyebrows furrow. Akaashi was (Y/N) cousin? How could he not have known? He was her closest and childhood friend; he must've met Akaashi once before.

"Akaashi, you have a cousin? That's so cool!" Bokuto stared a bit more at (Y/N), not noticing her discomfort.

Sakusa noticed her discomfort and sulked. He didn't like Bokuto making her uncomfortable, not one bit. "I think we have to go now (Y/N)."

He walked away while dragging (Y/N) and mumbled something under his mask. She waved goodbye to the duo as she got dragged by Sakusa. Akaashi waved back while Bokuto jumped in the air and waved.

"I'm going to beat you one day! Just you watch!" (Y/N) could hear Bokuto shout vengeance at Sakusa, who ignored it and kept dragging her.

It was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iizuna, Tsukasa - 3rd year setter. He is the captain of Itachiyama boy's volleyball team. He was mentioned in the manga (probably appeared in the anime for anyone reading this in the future). Not much is known about him.
> 
> I said Itachiyama's mascot was a weasel because Itachi meant weasel, and most of the schools in the manga/anime had their mascot in their school names so...hah? (ex. Fukurodani -> owls, Nekoma -> cats, etc) (i also saw this on the wiki but we can't always trust the wiki hehe)  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	7. kantou tournament II

~~~~"Where are we going, Kiyo?" Sakusa finally let go of (Y/N)'s arm when they reached Court E. There was still a match going on, but it seemed like it was about to end soon.

"We're going to watch the match that decides our next opponent," Sakusa says plainly.

(Y/N) looked around to see a couple of bystanders gawking at the sight of Sakusa.

"Hey, isn't that Sakusa Kiyoomi from Itachiyama?"

"He looks scarier in person!"

(Y/N) had to suppress her laughter when she heard that Sakusa looked scary. He was a complete dork to her. There was nothing scary about Sakusa unless he was on the court. Sakusa on the court was a different story.

"Kiyo," she tugged on Sakusa's sleeves.

"...hm?"

"You look like a chicken nugget," (Y/N) simply says.

"What?" Sakusa turned his head to face (Y/N), who was trying her hardest not to burst out laughing. He slowly raised an eyebrow. Her statement was completely out of the blue.

"Why am I a chicken nug-"

"And there goes Nakazawa, the 200 cm giant!" The commentator yelled out, interrupting Sakusa mid-sentence. (Y/N) cocked her head back to the match where she saw an unbelievably tall man single-handedly block a spike.

"Did you see that Kiyo?!" Her body vibrated with anticipation. She had never seen a single person successfully block a hard spike before.w

"..."

"That block was outstanding! And he did it by himself!" (Y/N) kept rambling about his blocks and height while Sakusa stared intensely at the giant. He might become a threat to him. His blocks were a bit flimsy, but with his height, it could be a problem.

The game finally ended with Fijumoto Institute winning. It was the school that the 200 cm man played for. As the two teams walked onto the court, (Y/N) could tell Sakusa was feeling threatened by the 200 cm man.

"Don't worry about him." (Y/N) grinned at Sakusa. "Do your best, and you'll do fine!"

Sakusa calmly nodded before handing his jacket to her and walking onto the court. It was their third match of the day. Fijumoto had the first serve.

She watched as the other team served it over to Yoneda. "Sorry! Cover!"

Komori ran over to set the ball. "Sakusa!"

Sakusa approached the ball with Nakazawa on him. _"Your blocks are too weak."_

He deflected the ball off Nakazawa's hand, which flew out of bounds. Sakusa remained emotionless while Matsushima came up to him for a high-five

"Nice one, Sakusa!" Sakusa swerved around to avoid Matsushima's high-five.

(Y/N) had a feeling that they were going to do well against the giant. She was sure that Sakusa had found a way around him.

"Give us a nice serve!" It was Sakusa's turn to serve. He aimed for the corner as he served. The other team thought it was going out of bounds only to have it land directly on the lime. "Yes!"

It was now 18 to 17 with Fijumoto Institute in the lead. Sakusa went up for a spike but didn't have any room to score. He rebounded the ball off the block for another chance to spike while Iizuna sets it for him again. This time he slammed the ball through the block. "Nice kill!"

"Itachiyama!" The cheering squad powerfully cheered as Sakusa scored another point. The 200 cm guy wasn't going to be a problem to Itachiyama.

"Nice one, Kiyo!" (Y/N) cheered out.

The second match started after Itachiyama won the first one, 25-22. Nakazawa approached the ball and spiked it at Yoneda, making it go out of control. "Damn it."

Komori ran after the ball, even jumping over the barriers enclosing the court. He nearly tripped over the barrier as he bumped the ball back to the main court.

"Cover it!" He says before falling onto the ground. It didn't sound like a good fall.

Iizuna ran to the back to set the ball. "Matsushima!"

He back sets it perfectly for Matsushima, who dinked it over the block. "Yeah!"

Matsushima turned around to see Komori staggering to get up. A nearby spectator had to hold him as he tried to get up on his own. His face looked like he was in a lot of pain. "Komori?"

The coach called a timeout as Matsushima ran over to help Komori. He wrapped Komori's arm over his shoulder and helped him walked steadily to the bench.

"I think I sprained an ankle," Komori huffed out as Matsushima sets him gently onto the bench.

"I'll get some ice and bandages," (Y/N) swiftly says and ran off. Sakusa stared at Komori for a while before sighing.

"You should've just let that ball go. It wouldn't really if we lost that point. We could have just gotten it back."

"Yes, thank you for worrying, Sakusa." Komori laughed out as (Y/N) arrived with the ice. The referee blew the warning whistle advising that the timeout was over.

"I believe in you guys!"

"Komori, stop squirming around!" (Y/N) pressed the ice gently onto his ankle. "If you keep moving, you won't be able to heal!"

"Sorry (Y/N), the coldness of the ice is ticklish." He gave her a shut-eye smile while scratching the back of his head.

The score was now 20-18 with Itachiyama in the lead. The opponent caught Itachiyama off guard and tapped the ball over, making the score 20-19.

"Man, if Komori was here, he would've easily known that it was a tip." Matsushima wiped the sweat off his forehead while complaining to Yoneda.

"We just have to do as well as Komori would," Yoneda says and sauntered back to his position.

They were at set point now, the score being 25-24 with Itachiyama leading. Matsushima jumped up for a block with Yoneda only to have the ball brush his fingers. "I touched it!"

Iizuna ran to the back and bumped it to the front. "Get the last hit!"

Sakusa approached the ball with three people jumping up for the block. Nakakawa gave Sakusa a taunting smile as the three were towering over Sakusa.

"Three blockers!"

Sakusa looked around for an opening, but the block resembled an umbrella with no holes. He snapped his wrist, aiming the ball to the tip of their fingers. Luckily, it bounced uncontrollably off their hands and flew to the back. Their libero ran as fast as he could to save the ball, but it was too late. The ball had already touched the ground.

The referee blew the whistle, indicating that the match finished. With two winning sets, Itachiyama came out victorious even after losing their libero.

They qualified for quarter-finals. Itachiyama was unstoppable.

"They did it!" (Y/N) cried out happily while trying to hold down Komori, who was wriggling around, trying to see the court.

"I knew they would be able to do it."

The first day of the tournament concluded with eight teams moving onto the quarter-finals, and Itachiyama being one of them.

"You did amazing today, Kiyo!" (Y/N) praised Sakusa. She swung her bag over her shoulder as she walked out of the arena with him.

Sakusa was exhausted. His legs and arms had a soft burning sensation, and his shoulder felt sore. He used a lot more energy than he intended to for the last two games. He couldn't wait to go home and soak in a satisfying, hot bath to release his tension.

"Who's that girl? She's got some nice looking eyes."

Just when Sakusa thought everything would calm down, he heard players from other schools talk about (Y/N). He could feel something tick inside of him when he heard them talking about her. Why couldn't anyone just leave her alone?

"Maybe you should try approaching her."

"Whaat? How could I with Sakusa beside her? He's pretty terrifying."

"I don't think he'll care."

_"Tch."_ He mentally thought and walked closer to (Y/N). She noticed Sakusa moving closer to her and asked if something was wrong.

"Is something wrong, Kiyo?"

"...no," Sakusa mumbled out. They finally boarded the bus with the rest of the team inside.

"What took you guys so long?" Komori asked and gave a cheeky smile.

"I had to go to the washroom, but Kiyo offered to wait for me." (Y/N) sat beside Sakusa, who leaned his head against the window.

When she asked him if she could sit beside him, he just gave her a shrug and (Y/N) took that as a yes. He didn't mind, but he also didn't know that she would actually sit beside him.

Ten minutes into the ride, Sakusa felt a light pressure on his shoulder. He was about to jump up and knock whatever was on him off, but when he looked over, he saw (Y/N) fast asleep and leaning on his shoulder.

He lightly sighed before taking his jacket and placing it over her sleeping figure. She moved her body slightly, and Sakusa panicked, thinking he woken her up only to have her fall back to sleep.

"..."

Sakusa looked around the bus. It was unusually quiet. Usually, Matsushima would always be telling his horrible jokes and getting a slap from Yoneda for trying to stick his head out the window, but this time it was silent. He saw that everyone was sleeping soundly except for him.

They must've been quite tired after today.

Sakusa didn't feel like going to sleep and gazed out the window, watching as they passed buildings and trees.

Today was just practice. Tomorrow was where the real challenge began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really don't know why i said sakusa looked like a chicken nugget...  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	8. golden voice I

This morning wasn't gray but by soothing lavender and brilliant amber.

Twilight melted away; majestic sunrise, red-orange glow seeped over the horizon as if the light itself was being poured from a molten sun. Powerful rays flooded over the landscape, lighting every blade of grass, shining from each leaf.

"Ahhhh-hhaaaaaa." (Y/N) stretched her arms over her head.

Itachiyama was playing the first match of the day against Tsubakihara Academy. They were on the court earlier to warm-up and practice their serves before the other team came.

"Tired, (Y/N)?" Komori asked while he picked up the loose volleyballs on the ground.

"It's not even yet," she groaned out. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

Komori laughed before returning to the court.

(Y/N) heavily sighed and flopped back into her seat. She couldn't sleep all night after finding out she had fallen asleep on Sakusa's shoulder. He probably hates her now since she touched him with her germs. She hasn't talked to him all morning. Maybe he hates her-

"(Y/N)." A resonating voice rang out. She turned her head to see Sakusa trudging towards her.

(Y/N) bowed deeply. "I'm so sorry for falling asleep on you, Kiyo! I won't do it again! Please don't hate me!"

"Huh?" Sakusa tipped his head to the side. Is that why she wasn't talking to him all morning? He thought she just wasn't in the mood to chat, but it seemed like that was the actual reason why. "It's no big deal."

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought you hated me for that." She broadly smiled.

"Why would I hate you?"

"Well, I did touch you with MY germs. Aren't you wary of the germs?"

"I don't-" Sakusa was cut off once again from a shout on the other side of the court.

"Tsuba High! Fight!"

"Yeah!"

They both raised their heads to the sound of the cheer. Tsubakihara Academy had arrived on court, ready to play.

"My nerves are shaking," #1 of Tsubakihara yelled out. "Why did we have to go against Itachiyama first thing in the morning..."

"Sakusa is scary, so are his spikes."

Sakusa gave a sullen grumble. "I don't get why everyone's so scared of me..."

"Maybe because you're always frowning."

He frowned and took off his jacket before handing it over to (Y/N). He casually walked to the back where the rest of the team lined up.

The quarter-finals were just about to start, and the atmosphere was tense. Most of the members of Tsubakihara looked like they were internally panicking while the Itachiyama member's stayed calm.

"Good luck!" (Y/N) giggled and sat right back down. She was a bit worried about how everyone was holding, but it was clear that they were holding up well. This match was going to be an interesting one.

"Let's play!"

Yoneda went to the back to serve. He took a deep breath and spun the ball. _"Let's do this."_

He aimed the ball to the right, only to have it swerve to the left and their libero. _"Damn it."_

"Nice receive!" The libero easily passed it to their setter.

"Tera!" Teradomari jumped for the spike.

_"So high!"_ (Y/N) watched as he spiked it into Matsushima's block.

It was powerful enough to blow through typical, weak blocks, but Matsushima's blocks were different. He easily closed up any possible openings for the spiker and forced him to spike into his block, shutting him down.

"Nice block Matsushima!" (Y/N) cried out from the bench. It seemed that the nervousness of the other team was controlling them.

The score gap was wide with Itachiyama in the lead, 8-2. Tsubakihara Academy called for a timeout. "Gather round!"

"Keep up the good work you guys," (Y/N) handed each of them a towel and their water bottles. "They look very nervous right now."

"Thanks (L/N)! Your support always brings me energy!" Matsushima gave (Y/N) a thumbs up as he got dragged away by Yoneda.

"Let's go before the timeout is over."

Sakusa approached (Y/N) as she was putting away the used towels and bottles. "(Y/N)..."

"Hm?"

"Do you think I'm scary?"

(Y/N) faintly smiled. "Not really, but you should smile more!"

Sakusa then proceeded to give her a Cheshire smile while his eyes remained unexpressive. "Like this?"

She looked at Sakusa like he had two heads. His smile didn't match with his emotionless eyes. It also looked painfully forced. "Uh, let's practice smiling before approaching someone with it."

Sakusa wasn't the one to smile a lot. Even during his childhood, (Y/N) could barely remember memories with him smiling. The fact that he tried smiling today was endearing.

Itachiyama won the first set with 25-15. What a gap. They had just begun their second match. It seemed like Tsubakihara had finally managed to calm their nerves and were catching up.

"And there goes Sakusa with his killer spike!"

(Y/N)'s eyes sparkled as she watched him score another point. Every point he scored made her feel electrified and left a satisfying sight. "Let's go, Kiyo!"

Her voice rung in Sakusa's head every time he went to spike. (Y/N)'s cheers would leave an impression on him. He felt at ease when he heard her cheers. It enlivened him. He wanted to hear more of it.

"Crap, it looks like Sakusa's getting into the game." #4 of Tsubakihara had just tried to receive Sakusa's spike only to have the ball flying off his arm.

"Don't mind, let's get the next point!" #2 calmly announced.

The score was now 24-17, match point. The air on the court grew thick with anticipation as Matsushima went up to serve. One mistake from Tsubakihara and the match would end.

"Bring it on!"

Matsushima served it at #1, who effortlessly passed it to their setter. #2 sets it to #3, who slammed the ball through the block and getting them another point. "Yeah!"

Tsubakihara subbed in their pinch server, #14. He was clearly under extreme pressure.

The point rested upon him. (Y/N) watched in surprise when she saw that he was preparing for an underhand serve. She watched as it flew into the ceiling and back down onto Komori. "Sorry!"

The ball went to Yoneda, who sets it to Sakusa. "Finish it, Sakusa!"

_"Drats,"_ #10 mentally cursed. Three of them went up to block only to have the ball blow through their block. They watched as the ball flew in the air.

"Free ball!"

Matsushima carefully watched where the set was going and jumped. "One touch!"

"I got it!" Komori passed it onto Iizuna, who passed the ball to Yoneda. #1 received his spike and observed as the ball flew back into the air.

_"A rally!"_ (Y/N) carefully observed every movement from each player. She watched as Sakusa went up for another spike. "Kiyo!"

Something clicked inside of Sakusa, and #2 of Tsubakihara noticed. He spiked the ball into #2's fingers and made it fly into the back wall on Tsubakihara's side. The sound of the ball hitting the wall echoed through the gym.

"TWEEEEEEEET!"

It was the end. They made it pass quarter-finals and proceeded onto the semi-finals. The score was 25-18 when the match ended. Itachiyama was on a roll with four consecutive wins.

"All right!" Matsushima hugged Yoneda, who surprisingly returned it.

"You guys were amazing!" (Y/N)'s eyes brimmed with tears. "You did astounding as usual too, Kiyo!"

"Yeah, sure..." Sakusa went to wear his mask and jacket. "Let's go get some lunch."

They walked together to where their bags were. Sakusa took out his bento and waited for (Y/N). She was rummaging through her bag but couldn't find her bento. "Where did I put it?"

A sudden wave of realization hit (Y/N), she had forgotten it at home. She was so tired that she forgot to place it in her bag. "I forgot it at home! I made it, but I forgot to pack it in my bag!"

She placed both of her hands on her head. Sakusa saw her distress and offered to share his lunch despite the germs. "You can have some of my lunch."

"No, no, you need the food for energy. I'm not that hungry anyway."

"Okay," Sakusa shrugged and walked off to watch a game.

He could see (Y/N) sneaking glances at his food as he ate and watched.

"Are you sure you don't want some?"

(Y/N) whipped her head back. "No."

"Your facial expression says otherwise."

"Was it that obvious?" She whined out, and her stomach grumbled.

"I think I saw a vending machine on the second floor. If you don't want some of my lunch you could-"

Before Sakusa could finish his sentence, (Y/N) had already runoff. He watched as she dissolved into the crowd, looking for the vending

machine.

Sakusa sighed before resuming to watch the game. (Y/N) was always so forgetful, what was he going to do with her.

**• • •**

"That's Sakusa from Itachiyama. Man, he looks intense."

"He's got a presence."

Why couldn't he go a day without someone talking about how scary he was...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was listening to gear (season 2 & 4 ost) while writing this, it helped a lot
> 
> i also had to cut a part out and move it to the next chapter, so there might be more chapters for this arc  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	9. golden voice II

"I got my snack, and now I'm happy~~!" (Y/N) happily munched on the chips that she got from the vending machine.

"Are you sure that's going to fill you? It's not even a proper lunch." Sakusa furrowed his brows at the sight of (Y/N) munching on her chips. She looked starved before, was a bag of chips going to be sufficient?

"Yeah, don't worry about me! You should worry about the upcoming match instead." She gave him a cheery smile.

"If you say so."

**• • •**

"Woah, they're all relatively tall!" (Y/N) gasped out. Higashihara High from Saitama rolled the onto the court while Itachiyama was warming up. "They look like delinquents though. All group up and walking onto the court."

Komori burst out a laugh. "Don't say it like that, (Y/N)! But you're not wrong, they kind of do look like delinquents..."

"Watch out!"

(Y/N) turned her head and saw a volleyball flying towards her face. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact. She waited and waited but never felt the contact. "Wha-"

"What are you doing, idiot. "

(Y/N) opened her eyes to see an outstretched hand holding the ball in their palm. She tilted her head upwards to see Sakusa towering from behind. "Kiyo?"

"You didn't even try to block the ball with your hand. What were you thinking? The first thing a human does when they see a ball coming towards them is to try to block it with their arms, but you didn't even try to do that. Is your skull too thick to understand that?"

"I'm sorry, Kiyo..."

While they were talking, a player from Higashihara High ran over. "Sorry for that, can we have the ball bac-"

"And you," Sakusa grimly spoke out. "What kind of volleyball player can't control where their spike goes?"

He glared darkly at the player who stayed silent and trembled. Komori noticed the tension arising between the two and decided to put a stop to whatever they were going to do next.

"Let's play nice now, guys. I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose, mistakes happen. Right?" He looked at the Higashihara player, who nodded profusely.

"Now that it's settled, Sakusa, please give back their ball so we can go back to warming up."

Sakusa gave the man one last glare before tossing the ball back to him. He walked away without another word to start warming up. (Y/N) stood there, stunned at what just unravelled.

"I never knew Kiyo could be this scary," she says with a blank face. She was not used to seeing Sakusa inflamed at all. Maybe a little irritated, but right now, he was extremely aggravated. If only she had reacted faster, this wouldn't have happened.

Komori saw (Y/N) face and gently smiled. "Hey, don't look so glum about it. It's not your fault, Sakusa's always been like that."

Komori was used to Sakusa being a too-blunt-jerk. But he noticed that Sakusa was more protective than usual. Usually, he would've just stayed silent and watched from the side, but now Komori got to see him express himself. It was a good change. Maybe not the outburst fragment, but the Sakusa softening up for (Y/N) part.

"Oi, Komori! The match is about to start!" Yoneda yelled out.

"Right!"

He was excited to see what will happen in the future.

(match skip brought to you by the author that doesn't want to describe every match. sorry)

Itachiyama had won 2 sets in a row. The first match, they left off with a rocky start and barely won with 26-24. They won their second match with a 5 points difference, 25-20, after a few words of encouragement from (Y/N). Her words were like magical powder. It gave them a sudden boost of energy and determination.

"I'm sorry, Kiyo!" Sakusa turned around to see (Y/N) fumbling with her thumbs and averting his gaze. "Please don't be mad. I was an idiot for not trying to block the ball."

Sakusa placed his water bottle onto the bench and rested his hand on her head. (Y/N) faintly blushed at his action and continued to avoid his gaze.

"You really are a fool. I'm not mad, so don't worry about it." He removed his hand from her head and walked away with his water bottle.

(Y/N) stood there, still blushing and cupped her cheeks.

The team didn't even have more than an hour of rest before they had to play the finals. (Y/N) was worried about their energy but dismissed her thoughts when she saw Matsushima dancing around with two onigiris in his hand. Apparently, he had finally gotten his hand on the best onigiris in the prefecture, which usually takes at least an hour to get because of the lineup. After eating their onigiris, everyone became good as new.

The arena was filled with spectators for the finals. They were going to go against Toukawa High from Chiba, and from what (Y/N) saw, they were pretty good. Everyone was ready to face their challengers. Itachiyama walked onto the court with the school cheering team cheering them on.

"Itachiyama!"

As Matsushima walked passed one of the players from the school, they bumped into him purposely. "Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"Oops, sorry, didn't see you there. Your hideous haircut wasn't enough to make us notice you," they sneered back.

"Why you little-"

Yoneda appeared behind Matsushima and bonked him on the head. "Don't pick fights with the opponents."

"But they were the ones who started it!" Yoneda began dragging Matsushima away as the contenders snickered at him.

Iizuna shook hands with the captain of Toukawa High. "Let's have a good match!"

Just as Iizuna was about to let go, the captain of Toukawa High pulled him in closer and whispered into his ear. "Look forward to us wiping you out."

"I'll look forward to that then!" Iizuna happily smiled and walked away.

The match began with Sakusa gaining a point with an ace. The crowd roared with cheers at Sakusa's ace.

"Nice serve, Kiyo!" (Y/N) shouted out. Toukawa High was good at receiving, quick and good at combo attacks. They were also known for their provocation and arrogance with every school they play against.

It was now 10-9 with Itachiyama leading. Sakusa approached the ball and slammed it through the two-man block, making the score now 11-9.

( i'm going to skip writing the first three matches cause there are five matches in total, and it might get boring with just reading the description of the different matches. sorry ): )

Itachiyama had won the first match, 28-26. Their second match, Itachiyama was close, but Toukawa High managed to secure the second match with 29 to 31. With the third match, Itachiyama powered through and won with 25 to 21. A staggering difference for the finals.

As Toukawa High went up for a spike, they get blocked by Matsushima, who single-handedly did it. "Not so smug now, are you?"

The score was now 23-22. Yoneda goes up for a spike but got blocked by the opposition's wall. Toukawa High served it to Komori, who easily received it. "I got it!"

Iizuna sets it to Sakusa, who spiked the ball into the block but out of bounds, obtaining the point for Itachiyama.

"And there goes Sakusa Kiyoomi with his smart plays! Using the block to his advantage!" The commentators yelled out, making the crowd cheer.

Toukawa High was down one from Itachiyama. Toukawa High ran up for a block only to have the referee whistle out. Unfortunately, they had lost the point from touching the net and lost the 4th match.

"Are you kidding me?" A player from Toukawa High yelled out before getting a warning from the referee.

"They're really aggressive, don't you think so, Kiyo?" (Y/N) handed him his water bottle, which he guzzled down. "They almost act like you when you're mad."

Sakusa choked on his water and looked around for a towel.

"Ah, sorry! I shouldn't have said that." (Y/N) apologized while handing him a clean towel.

They began their fifth match with confidence and Iizuna serving. The serve ended up making their setter receive it, which was a good thing for Itachiyama. Their spike was weaker than usual, with Yoneda passing easily to Iizuna.

Iizuna sets the ball just above the net for Matsushima, who bounced the ball into the opponent's court. He turned around with a giant smile plastered onto his face.

"That was...the best set ever!" He ran over to Iizuna and pulled him into a tight hug. Yoneda walked over and slapped his head, making Matsushima let go of Iizuna.

"Oi, you're going to suffocate Iizuna like that."

"Ah, sorry, Iizuna!"

The score was 17-16. If Itachiyama scored another point, they would win the whole tournament! Currently, there was a rally happening between the two schools, and Itachiyama had the ball right now.

Iizuna was prepared to set it to Yoneda, but when he saw Sakusa's aura, he knew he had to set it to him.

"Let's go!" His ears instantly recognize the voice. It was the sound of (Y/N)'s cheering that made him want the ball. He was going to score right there for her. They were going to win the tournament for her.

He slammed the ball through the three-man block and watched as the ball drew nearer and nearer to the ground. The libero on the other team ran as fast as he could to dive for the ball but to no avail.

The sound of the ball hitting the ground echoed through the gym. The crowd stayed silent for seconds before bursting out in cheers. Itachiyama had won the Kantou Tournament. The players of Toukawa High stared at the score. 18 to 16. They had utterly lost.

"All right!!" Matsushima group hugged everyone, but Sakusa, who had already walked off the court and towards (Y/N).

"Kiyo!" (Y/N)'s lips curved into a warm smile. She closed her eyes to savour the moment and let the happiness soak into her bones. They had just won the Kantou Tournament. A moment she'd never thought would experience.

Sakusa patted her head gently and flopped onto the bench. He was drenched in his sticky sweat and couldn't wait to take a shower. A heavy sigh escaped from his mouth.

**• • •**

"Oh, also, can we have some meat buns on the way back?" The team was on the bus and on the way back to Tokyo. (Y/N)'s stomach grumbled in hunger. "I'm hungry."

"I told you those chips weren't enough," Sakusa crossed his arms. "And now you're hungry."

"But they're just meat buns...please?"

"..."

"Pretty please?"

"Fine."

"Yay! Meat buns!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was reading haikyuu!! chapter 368 again, and i cried. wHeRE aRe My tISSues?!?
> 
> i'm sorry, i got lazy with writing the different matches o(╥﹏╥)  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	10. sleepyhead

"Kiyoooo!" (Y/N) shouted down the corridors. Everyone moved to the side and out of her way as she ran toward Sakusa.

"Did you really have to shout?" Sakusa closed his locker and turned to face the now beaming (Y/N).

"I had to, or you would've left."

It had only been one week after their grand win at the Kantou Tournament, but everything had already gone back to business as usual.

"You're giving me that smile again, what is it this time?" Sakusa had learned a thing or two about (Y/N) ever since she came back. Whenever she would give him a toothy grin, it meant that she needed something from him.

"Are you busy after school?"

"No."

There wasn't practice that after school that day. The coach told them to "get some rest" since they've been working really hard each day to prepare for the upcoming Interhigh Prelims.

"Great! I got an upcoming test for Japanese Literature, but I'm still not familiar with the 

material." She took a wrinkled notebook out of her bag.

"Could you help me study? Please?"

"Sure...?"

"We can study at my place if you want, my mom's not going to be home until really late at night so we'll have the whole house to ourselves!"

"Okay." It was just going to be the two of them together? They used to do that all the time when they were younger.

"Then, I'll see you after school!" (Y/N) turned on her heels and cheerfully skipped down the halls. Sakusa stood lost in thought for a moment before turning away to head to his next class.

The sky, a beautiful canvas graced with sky blues and pure milky whites. The blue in the depths beyond and the smooth, rounded, sugary sweet clouds in the foreground. Students cleared out the school building as the school day ended.

Sakusa waited for (Y/N) at the gates of the school, away from the mob of people that were exiting. He tapped his foot impatiently. It was already fifteen minutes past the usual time when school finished. Where could she possibly be?

Just as he was about to go searching for her, he heard a quiet pant growing louder every second. Sakusa turned around to see an out of breath (Y/N) holding onto a crumpled piece of paper.

"Sorry... I had... To... Hand something... In." (Y/N) gasped for air. She had just run down from the third floor to the school gates as fast as she could.

Why do her social studies class have to be on the third floor?

"Take your time to catch your breath. It's not like we're in a rush or anything," Sakusa plainly says, and hands her a water bottle.

"Thanks," she guzzled down the water before handing it back to Sakusa. "Oh wait, let me clean this for you before giving it back."

After (Y/N) fixed herself up, they began to make their way towards her house.

Her keys jangled as she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Sakusa could smell the scent of fresh pastries escaping through the door as they walked in.

"My mom must've made some pastries before she went out. You can take one if you'd like." (Y/N) slipped off her shoes before running into the kitchen.

"It's fine. I'm not hungry. We're here to study after all," Sakusa took off his shoes before looking around. The place was quite messy and slightly made him feel queasy. Imagine the number of germs lying around the house.

(Y/N) came back with a piece of bread in her mouth and a washed water bottle before motioning for Sakusa to follow her upstairs.

The room they entered contained a small bed, neatly made, and a small desk. There was not much clutter on the floor, but when Sakusa looked to the right, he could see a pile of stuff tucked away in the corner. The room had an abundant amount of natural light. It didn't need any external light source to brighten the area.

"Ah, sorry for the mess," she picked up the stack of books off her desk and plopped them onto her bed. "You can work on the desk here."

"How about you?"

"I prefer to sit on the floor."

A few minutes passed, and (Y/N) was already stuck on a part of her homework. "Hey, Kiyo, what does this mean?"

"古池や  
蛙飛び込む  
水の音"

She read the poem aloud and wrinkled her nose. Her Japanese wasn't the greatest when it comes to poems and tongue-twisters. Sakusa took the page and looked at it for a few seconds before handing it back to her.

"It's a haiku by Matsuo Basho. The first verse is 'the old pond,' and the second means 'a frog leaps in.' The third verse is the 'sound of water.' Does that make sense?"

"Ah, I get it now." She scribbled some notes down on her paper. "Thanks, Kiyo!"

Sakusa was working on his math homework. He breezed through each problem and began his English homework. Half-way through, he decided to check on (Y/N) only to find the girl dozing off.

"You really can sleep anywhere."

He walked over to where she was and looked at her open notebook. Her homework was only half done, and she had already fallen asleep. Sakusa lightly sighed and grabbed the covers off her bed. He gently draped it on top of (Y/N) sleeping figure before looking out the window.

The last of the sun's rays cosseted behind soft grey clouds as darkness overtook the sky. He grabbed his backpack and headed out of the room. As he was going down the stairs, (Y/N)'s mother walked through the front door.

"Kiyoomi-kun! Leaving already?"

"Yes, it's turning dark now, so I need to head home. (Y/N) is asleep upstairs," he swiftly tells (Y/N)'s mother.

"That girl's always sleeping, what am I going to do with her."

Sakusa bowed his head before excusing himself. He slipped on his shoes and walked out into the crisp air. He let the wind blow through his air as he walked down the deserted road. The street lights flashed on as the sky got darker.

Images of (Y/N) sleeping flashed through his mind. How can one look so cute while sleeping? Her soft snores were like tickles to his ears. It wasn't loud but audible. Her features were much more tender in sleep as serenity was plastered across her face.

Why is the image stuck in his head?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the poem/haiku i used in this chapter is "The Old Pond" by Matsuo Basho   
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	11. invincible

The Itachiyama boy's volleyball team walked into the gym of Shinzen High. They were invited to have a practice match against them just days before the Interhigh Prelims.

"Is it me, or does Shinzen's captain look like a broccoli?" (Y/N) watched on the side as the two teams warmed up.

Matsushima couldn't help but roar in hysterics. "You're hilarious, (L/N)! Calling... him a... broccoli... I can't."

At this point, Matsushima was wheezing and rolling on the floor. Sakusa pursed his lips, a slight furrow between his brows as he stared pointedly at them with an icy coldness.

"Tsk. Shut up. You're too loud."

He walked away with a scowl under his mask, leaving the two standing and rolling there. (Y/N) was giggling at Matsushima, who was trying his hardest to stop laughing. Yoneda finally came back and whipped him into shape before the match could start.

Eikichi watched the pissed off Sakusa walk away from the lively incident that just happened.

"That was scary. Even if he wasn't yelling at me, I still felt chills run down my back," Eikichi told Daiki, who was practicing his spikes.

"This is just a practice match, so don't worry about it."

The match had begun, and Itachiyama was on a roll. They managed to score five consecutive points at the beginning and reach 15 points before the other team could enter the double digits.

"#10 from Itachiyama is incredible!" A spectator widened his eyes when he saw Sakusa spike.

"You haven't heard of him? He's one of the top three aces in Japan!" His friend enthused.

Shinzen High called for a timeout when the score was 18-10. The boys of Itachiyama walked towards their bench as (Y/N) handed each of them their water bottles.

"Their combo attacks are remarkable! You guys did a great job countering it." (Y/N) collected their water bottles as the timeout was about to end.

Sakusa thanked (Y/N) as she gave him a clean towel and took away his sweat-filled one. Her graceful movements and diligence made her a perfect manager for the volleyball team. Itachiyama was grateful to have her around.

"Bring it on!" Daiki shouted out as Yoneda served. Yoneda served directly to Eikichi, who had no problem receiving it.

_"Crap,"_ Matsushima thought as they began to perform a combo attack. This time, they all blended in with each other, making it harder to read. Matsushima finally realized it was going to Daiki but was too late to block it as the ball had already landed in their court.

Despite being able to catch up, Itachiyama won the first round against Shinzen with 25 to 14. They began their second round shortly after a break. Matsushima had quickly caught onto their combo attacks and was able to block some.

"Alright!" Matsushima yelled out after blocking one of their combo attacks.

"Jeez, you get really hyped after one block." Yoneda playfully slapped Matsushima hard on the back.

"Gah!"

The score was now 14 to 10, and Itachiyama was leading. Yoneda went up for a spike only to get blocked by Eikichi. "Dammit, you're really tall for your age."

"T-Thanks!" Eikichi blurted out and bowed. "It's an honour to block you!"

"Huh?" Yoneda quizzically looked at Eikichi. _"Did he just say it was an honour to block me?"_

Shinzen High served the ball to Iizuna, who was forced to receive it. He passed it to Komori, who sets it to Sakusa. Sakusa did a cross-shot and landed it perfectly on the corner of the court.

_"His accuracy is terrifying."_ Daiki felt his sweat dripping off his chin as he watched Itachiyama gain another point.

After a short rally, Shinzen earned the point with a combo attack that confused Matsushima.

"Oh no! I got the wrong person!" He yelled out once he found out that the ball was going to someone else and resulted in Shinzen gaining another point.

"Don't worry about it, let's just get the point back." Komori laughed at Matsushima's expression.

"Let's go!" (Y/N) cheered on with a bright smile plastered across her face. The boys were doing exceptionally well with their match against Shinzen High. She was sure the team was going to go far.

With the score being 23 to 17 now with Itachiyama leading again, the tension in the air arose. It was almost like you could cut the air with a knife. (Y/N) felt butterflies in her stomach as she watched them play. Even if she wasn't playing, she could feel each player's nervousness.

Shinzen High quickly earned another point after Matsushima failed to block the ball. "Sorry. I let them gain another point."

"Don't mind, don't mind. Let's just focus on getting the next point." Komori gently patted his back.

The earn the point back after Yoneda managed to blast the ball past their blocks, making the score 24 to 18.

"One more point!" (Y/N) cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted. Just one more point and they would win the match.

Daiki could feel his whole team tensing up. "Stay calm. We can do this!"

They watched as Komori passed the ball to Iizuna. They expected him to pass it either to Yoneda, Sakusa or Matsushima.

They kept their eyes closed on three main spikers only to have Iizuna perform a server dump. As they all rushed to keep the ball in the air, Daiki dived and bumped the ball into the net, which made it fall back onto the ground. 25 to 18 was the score for the second match, and Shinzen High lost two whole rounds to Itachiyama.

"Itachiyama is incredibly strong! No wonder they won the Kantou Tournament." Eikichi commented as he helped disassemble the net.

"They have one of the top three aces in Japan and the number one libero in the country on their team. Not to mention, their middle blocker is pretty good at blocking."

"Yeah..." Daiki watched (Y/N) as she laughed at Matsushima, who accidentally squirted water out his nose. "But ever since they got a manager, they seem to be doing even better. Especially Sakusa, he looked extremely fired up when she cheered for them."

"You think so?"

"Sakusa's not the one to display his emotions, but I could see a change in his aura whenever their manager cheered," Daiki explained as he dragged the nets back into the storage room.

"Achoo!" (Y/N) sneezed as she walked with Sakusa to the bus.

"Are you sick? Do you need a mask? A tissue?" Sakusa furrowed his brow and began to rummage through his backpack for extra masks.

"No, no. I'm not sick, at least I don't think so."

"Well, wear one just in case," he says and handed her a mask.

"No need, I'm sure I'm not sick." (Y/N) politely handed Sakusa his mask back.

"How would you know? You never know, a sneeze could mean a cold, and a cold could mean a trip to the hospital."

"It's really not that bad, Kiyo." She laughed.

"It is, now put it on, or I'll do it for you." Sakusa scowled.

"Like I said I'm not-"

(Y/N) didn't finish her sentence as Sakusa had already grabbed the mask from her hand and forced it on her.

"Now you better keep it on," he says as they walked on board the bus.

"Is the couple fighting again? I watched it all happen from the window. You guys fight like a couple!" Matsushima teased and chuckled.

Sakusa shot him a glare while (Y/N) turned her head to the side and faintly blushed. Luckily, the mask was there to cover it.

"We're not a couple," she mumbled under her mask and plopped into her seat. She crossed her arms and frowned the whole time as they drove back to Tokyo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan, for instance, there is a superstition that if talking behind someone's back causes the person being talked about to sneeze; as such, the sneezer can tell if something good is being said (one sneeze), someone is thinking about you (two sneezes in a row) —Wikipedia  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	12. preparation

The Interhigh Prelims were going to be held tomorrow. Itachiyama was ranked first after winning the Kantou tournament and only played from the third round. With nothing else better to do, (Y/N) wanted to watch the teams battle their way through.

"Kiyo, let's go!" It was lunchtime at Itachiyama and (Y/N) was trying to convince Sakusa to go with her.

"No."

"Fine, I'll ask Komori then." She huffed out and pouted before walking away.

When Sakusa heard that she was going to ask Komori instead, it didn't sit well with him, so he followed her to Komori.

"Sure!" Komori enthusiastically agreed. "Is Sakusa going?"

"Well, he said no-"

"I'll go." Sakusa popped up from behind (Y/N), who jumped and swiftly turned around.

"Gah! Kiyo, you scared me! What are you, a ghost?"

"A ghost, is that what you think of me?" Sakusa tilted his head to the side.

"No you just appeared out of nowhere and scared me, that's all." (Y/N) exhaled the air she held in when Sakusa startled her.

"So you're going now, Sakusa?" Komori asked.

"I guess so," Sakusa nonchalantly shrugged.

"Great! All three of us can go!" (Y/N) grinned. The bell rang shortly after, and the three of them returned their class.

The sun is brilliant in the cornflower-blue sky as if one perfect petal was stretched so wide around all the world. The trio walked into Ota City General Gymnasium to be met with the sound of chatter and balls bouncing against the floor.

"So many people!" (Y/N) gawked and spun around as if a child was entering a candy shop.

Sakusa shivered at the sight of the many people surrounding him. Why did he agree to come?

"Let's go watch the match between Umagaku High and Kanemoto Tech High!" (Y/N) waved the pamphlet she was holding around before running ahead of the two boys.

"You seem really excited to see this match, (Y/N). May I ask why?" Komori strides behind (Y/N) as she practically bounced towards the court where the match was held.

"I heard that he also comes from America. He hasn't been here long, yet he already made a name for himself!"

Sakusa sauntered from behind, closely listening in on their conversation.

He could care less about the person (Y/N) was talking about; unless he deemed them a threat, of course. Suddenly, there was a big whoosh of air followed by the crowds loud cheering.

Standing at 6'3" tall, a fair-skinned man easily spiked the ball through a two-man block. His strawberry blonde hair hanged over his face as he high-fived his teammates.

Sakusa silently stared at the man. He had powerful spikes, but most of them would land outside the boundary. In other words, his aim and control of the ball were terrible. Other than his power, he wasn't much of a threat.

"..."

**• • •**

"Which court are we on?" Sakusa peered at the clipboard (Y/N) was holding. They were playing the third match of the day against the winner of the match they watched the day before.

"We're on Court C!" (Y/N) gleefully spoke. They were going to go against Umagaku High, the school that the man attended and played for.

(Y/N) was walking back to the bench with the fresh towels when suddenly she bumped into someone, dropping all the towels she was holding.

"Ah! Sorry," she quickly blurted out before bending down to pick up the fallen towels.

The person she bumped into also bends down to help her. (Y/N) tilted her head up to see the person she bumped into was the man she was watching yesterday.

"Sorry about that!" His voice was much higher than expected, and he had a bright smile across his face.

He carefully handed the towel back to (Y/N). "I'm Aiken Yates. Nice to meet you."

"(L/N) (Y/N). It's nice to meet you as well."

"Do you need help with that?" He asked. His broken Japanese made it hard to understand what he was saying. (Y/N) could barely make out what he just said.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine!" (Y/N) smiled. They started a friendly conversation, and it turned out Aiken had only been in Japan for two months.

"Only two months, and you already seem so familiar with volleyball? That's incredible!"

"I guess I'm a quick learner," Aiken laughed and scratched his head.

Sakusa watched from the bench as the two chatted away. For some reason, he didn't like the way Aiken was talking to (Y/N). Was he jealous? What for? It's not like (Y/N) was going out with him. She was allowed to talk to anyone she'd like, but when he saw her talking to Aiken, it just didn't sit well with him.

Sakusa walked over to the two and stood there for a few seconds until (Y/N) noticed he was there.

"Kiyo? Is something wrong?" She looked at him with innocent eyes.

"The water bottles need to be filled."

"Oh! I better do that now," she turned to face Aiken. "It was nice talking to you!"

After she ran off to fill the water bottles, Sakusa shot a glare at Aiken before walking off. Aiken scratched his head in confusion, did he just glare at him? Suddenly a wave of realization hit him, was the guy that just glared at him the person his teammates were always talking about?

_"Dude! Look at this! It's Sakusa Kiyoomi!" Aiken's teammate pointed at the picture in Volleyball Monthly (a magazine)._

_The page showed the yearly top three aces in Japan. A picture of Sakusa, who was just about to spike the ball was displayed._

_"The fact that he's the only second-year out of the three aces is unbelievable!"_

_Aiken had only been in Japan for one month, so he didn't know what his teammates were talking about. "Is he really that good?"_

_His teammate looked at him as if he had two heads. "Of course, he is! Imagine being one of the top three aces in all of Japan!"_

_"I think I can easily become one-"_

_His teammate rolled up the magazine and slapped him on the head. "Start learning the basic rules of volleyball before making such big goals for yourself!"_

(Y/N) came back with a case of filled water bottles. She made it just in time before the game started. The referee blew their whistle, indicating that the game had begun.

"Let's have a good match!"

After a few rallies and blocks, the points were now 10-5 with Itachiyama leading as per usual.

Aiken watched as Sakusa easily spiked through a three-man block. _"So, this is the power of the top three aces in Japan!"_

He creepily smiled in anticipation. His teammates looked at him and tapped his shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Yep! All good, never better!" What Aiken didn't realize was that he said that all in English and left his teammates confuzzled on what the heck he said.

After a successful block from Matsushima, the score was 18-10. Sweat rolled down Aiken's forehead. He couldn't get a single point without Itachiyama's blockers intercepting him. When he did get past them, the ball would always land out of the court. Maybe he should work on his aim and control.

"Nice kill, Kiyo!" Aiken watched as (Y/N) intensely cheering for Sakusa. If he wanted to be one of the top three aces in Japan, he was going to need to work harder.

The match finally ended with Itachiyama winning, 25-12. As they got ready for the second round, Aiken's teammates saw him intensely staring at Sakusa.

Sakusa felt an uncomfortable, piercing feeling on his back. He glanced over his shoulder to see the guy (Y/N) was talking to, staring at him. Was he staring at him, or was it (Y/N)? Sakusa looked at (Y/N), who seemed to not notice and continued to happily chat away with Komori.

"(Y/N). Do you feel anything weird?" Sakusa asked.

"No, why?

"Nevermind then."

(Y/N) eyed Sakusa suspiciously before returning to her conversation with Komori. Sakusa glanced back once more to see that Aiken had finally turned away and stopped staring. He sighed a breath of relief before getting ready to go back on the court.

(match skipped by the writer who's starting to run out of ideas on what to write during the match)

Itachiyama easily won both sets, with the last match being 25-10. Sakusa wanted to quickly clean himself up before getting the heck out of there with (Y/N). He didn't want to be around that "Aiken" guy no more.

After Sakusa wiped off all his sweat and grime, he quickly grabbed (Y/N)'s hand and walked off.

"Kiyo, what are you doing?" (Y/N) slightly blushed at his sudden actions. It wasn't every day you see Sakusa touching anyone.

"We're going somewhere safe," he mumbled under his mask and disappeared into the crowd.

No way was he going to let that guy set his eyes on (Y/N) again. He was bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i may have made Sakusa sound very possessive here and i'm very sorry about that  
> let me know if i'm making Sakusa OOC (out of character), it would help a lot!  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	13. court conqueror

The sound of chatter slowly faded as Sakusa and (Y/N) walked further and further away.

"I think we lost him," Sakusa released his grasp around (Y/N)'s hand.

"What was that for, Kiyo?" (Y/N) looked around to see a lot fewer people around them. "Also, who are you talking about?"

"I don't like you talking with that Aiden guy."

"It's Aiken, and why not? There's nothing wrong with him, just a friendly guy who helped me."

(Y/N) could feel a smile creeping onto her face when an idea popped into her head. "Don't tell me... you're jealous?"

Sakusa furrowed his brows. "Why would I be jealous?"

(Y/N) just smirked and patted him on the shoulder before walking away. "I think it's time for our next match."

After she walked away from Sakusa's sight, she could feel her face beginning to heat up. It took all of her strength not to get flustered in front of him.

_"He's just a friend. He's just a friend...."_ Thoughts ran through her mind as she walked back to the main arena. _"Just a friend that's looking out for her."_

The feeling of his hands still lingered on her hand. It was unexpectedly smooth and soft, devoid of any impurities. The warmth of his hands overtaking her cold ones remained in her head. She was definitely going insane.

Sakusa was still standing in the same spot and was looking back to what he just did. Did he go too far? But if he did, (Y/N) would've told him already. He was confused. She just left with a smirk and pat. What was that supposed to mean?

He looked at the clock on the wall nearby. His match was just about to start. Sakusa lightly sighed before making his way towards the courts. It was unusual to be caught up by his thoughts, especially when it's about someone.

"Woah, how odd, Sakusa being late," Matsushima tittered as Sakusa glared at him.

"I had to do something, where's (Y/N)?"

"She's over there." Matsushima pointed to the side where she was cheerfully talking to the captain of Nekoma.

"I like pugs. They're cute." Kuroo had recognized (Y/N) from the Kantou Tournament and approached her. Right off the bat, they bonded from their mutual love for dogs. "You remind me of them cause of your cuteness."

"Aw, thank you." (Y/N) paid no heed to his flirtatious nature. She wasn't going to lie. It was fun to play along. At first, she thought Kuroo was a womanizer, but gradually, she could see that he was just a laid-back guy with no intention of hitting her up despite his flirtatious actions.

Meanwhile, a certain someone was silently staring at the scene that was unfolding.

"Eh? Jealous? I would have never guessed the great Sakusa would be jealous." Yoneda approached from behind Sakusa with a grin.

"No, I'm just looking out for her," Sakusa says while furrowing his brows.

"Ya know, if you keep furrowing your brows, you're gonna get wrinkles and look old like a grandpa."

"I'm not a grandpa," he grumbled and walked away. Yoneda placed his hands on his hips and smiled.

_"Sakusa is jealooooousss."_

**• • •**

(Y/N) watched in awe as Kuroo did a delay spike and earned the point for Nekoma. She shouldn't be rooting for the other team (which she wasn't), but she couldn't help but become impressed by the move.

They had solid receives and smart plays. (Y/N) had to admit, their techniques and plays made it entertaining to watch. Despite all the different plays and techniques, Itachiyama had won 2 sets in a row. Nekoma put up a strong fight, but even with all that effort, Itachiyama was still stronger.

Both teams were sweating profusely. (Y/N) had to run back and forth to change the sweat-filled towels. Itachiyama had won 2 consecutive rounds in a row, proceeding to the semi-finals. Nekoma had lost the quarter-finals against Itachiyama.

Their match was the last match of the day. All the suspense lifted off of (Y/N)'s shoulder as everyone got ready to leave. There were now four teams left with only the top two teams being able to go to Interhigh Nationals.

"Kuroo... What are you doing?" Kenma asked as Kuroo stared at the ceiling.

"I expected no less from Itachiyama..."

"What are you blabbering?"

"Even if we lost this time, we won't next time. We're going to go to nationals."

"You're thinking too far ahead, Kuroo," Kenma sighed.

"Come on! I bet the others are waiting for us." Kuroo wrapped an arm around Kenma's neck and walked off. Kenma squirmed around while Kuroo dragged him away.

**• • •**

The third day arrived, and the boys of Itachiyama were more than ready to face their opponents. They won the semi-finals against Akiyachi High — 25 to 22 and 25 to 20.

"Woah! We're going to the finals!" (Y/N)'s eyes sparkled.

"It's good to see you two again, (Y/N)-san, Sakusa-san." She turned around to see Akaashi and Bokuto, who was waving.

"Hey, hey, hey! (L/N)! Sakusa!" Bokuto shouted out eagerly.

"Oh, hello, Bokuto, Keiji-san!" She waved back while Sakusa remained silent and still.

"How is your mother doing?" Akaashi asked.

"Same old same."

"That's good to hear. I would just like to wish your team good luck since we're going against each other."

"Huh? You guys go to Fukurodani?!" (Y/N) confusedly looked at the two of them.

"I thought you knew, dork," Sakusa muttered. "It was pretty obvious. They even have their school name embroidered on their jackets."

"Eh? I didn't notice..."

"Sakusa, this time, I will beat you! I will take your spot and become one of the top three aces in Japan!" Bokuto declared loudly, slightly startling (Y/N).

"Huh? Yeah, okay..." Sakusa turned on his heels and walked away without another word.

"We'll be going too then. Good luck to your team, (Y/N)-san." Akaashi walked away with Bokuto, who was jumping and shouting, "hey, hey, hey!"

(Y/N) sighed before turning around to join Sakusa. After catching up with him, she could see an annoyed expression plastered across his face. "You don't like Bokuto, do you?"

"..."

"I'm going to take that as a yes since you always look irritated when he's around. I can see why you might not like him, though. I have to admit. He's quite loud and simple-minded."

Sakusa remained quiet while listening to (Y/N) speak.

"But, he's very friendly and fun to be around even though I barely know him." (Y/N) smiled and looked at Sakusa, whose expression loosened up. They remained silent as they walked back to where the rest of the team was.

The final match began between Fukurodani and Itachiyama. Itachiyama quickly took the first set, 25-23, a close match that could have possibly resulted in a loss.

(Y/N) saw that Bokuto was a strong player. He easily blasted through Itachiyama's blocks and was skilled in doing straight and cross spikes. Imagine trying to receive one of them. It made her shiver. It looked like it hurt when Komori had received his spikes.

She took notes along the way as the two teams played to become the top. Akaashi was a prominent player too, using his strategic skills to perform quick-sets for his team. The whole team of Fukurodani was talented.

Fukurodani had taken the second set, 27-25, forcing Itachiyama into playing the third and final set. (Y/N) watched as Bokuto spiked the ball off of the blocker's hand as it went flying towards Komori.

"Chance ball!" Komori passed it to Iizuna, who performed a quick-set to Sakusa, obtaining another point for Itachiyama.

The score was 24 to 22, and Itachiyama was in front. (Y/N) observed as Yoneda tried to spike through the block only to have the ball be received by the other team's libero.

Akaashi sets it to Bokuto, who rebounded the ball off the block, giving the team another chance to score. Despite that, Bokuto was met with the same wall and was forced to spike the ball off the block to the other side.

Komori passed it to Iizuna, who was contemplating who to set the ball to.

"Let's go! One more point! You can do this!" (Y/N) cupped her hands around her mouth to magnify the cheer.

Iizuna quickly decided to do a quick-set to Sakusa, who spiked past the 3-man-block. The libero tried to receive the ball only to have it flying off his arm and into the spectator's area. Spectators moved away from the ball as a player from Fukurodani ran as fast as he could to the ball.

Both teams watched as the ball quickly fell to the ground, brushing off the fingers of the player who had run after it. The whole arena was silent but then suddenly outbursted with cheers and applause.

Itachiyama had won a definite ticket to the Interhigh Nationals to represent Tokyo along with Fukurodani as the second representative.

"Arghh, I was sure we would win." Bokuto dramatically whined out.

"It's okay, Bokuto-san. We will still be able to attend Nationals," Akaashi quickly assured him.

"But I wanted to be first..."

Simultaneously, the boys of Itachiyama were celebrating with high-fives and dancing (*cough* Matsushima).

"I swear, (L/N), your words are magical." Matsushima placed both of his hands on her shoulder while staring closely into her eyes.

"Oi, let go of her." Sakusa glared at Matsushima, who had already let go of her and twirled around to bother Yoneda. Sakusa stayed emotionless while the rest of the team was cheerfully celebrating among themselves.

"Hey, hey, Kiyo! We should celebrate!" (Y/N) tugged on his sleeves. "Let's get some ramen!"

"Did someone say ramen?" Komori popped up from behind Sakusa.

"Yep! Wanna join us?"

"Sure!"

"I didn't agree to go," Sakusa grumbled and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Come on, Kiyo!" (Y/N) pouted and crossed her arms.

"No."

"Well, that leaves us no choice then... Komori, do it!"

Komori wrapped his arm around Sakusa's arm. "Get your filthy hands off my arm."

"No can do, Sakusa. (Y/N)'s order."

Sakusa wrinkled his brows and looked at (Y/N)'s now smirking face.

"I hate both of you."

**• • •**

As the trio walked out the arena, (Y/N) spotted Akaashi and Bokuto just ahead of them. "Keiji-san! Bokuto!"

Akaashi and Bokuto turned around to face the three. Bokuto jumped up ecstatically and ran towards them. "(L/N)! Hey!"

"Congratulations on coming first." Akaashi approached from behind Bokuto.

"We won't lose next time!" Bokuto shouted out and puffed out his cheeks.

(Y/N) quietly snicked while Sakusa rolled his eyes. "Care to join us for ramen?"

Bokuto's face lit up, and he turned to face Akaashi as if he wanted his approval. Akaashi sighed. "Sure."

"Ramen!!" Bokuto bounced away wildly ahead of them.

"I want to go home..." Sakusa muttered under his breath. "Can you let go of me now?"

"Nope! You would run away if I did," Komori grinned.

"Sorry about him, Bokuto-san can be a handful sometimes." Akaashi bowed his head.

"Don't worry! I've never seen someone so happy about ramen. It's fun to see someone so happy about it."

"Right! Let's go get some ramen now!" (Y/N) pointed in front of them and began their journey to the ramen shop.

Komori happily dragged Sakusa, who was regretting his life choices and grumbling. He paid no attention to Sakusa's grumbles and continued dragging him.

"Hurry up! I want ramen!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've been procrastinating and watching bungou stray dogs, the show is like amazing. i can't believe i haven't watch it before  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	14. special - code r

It was supposedly a typical day for the Itachiyama boy's volleyball club.

They were having their usual after school practice until Matsushima burst out the storage room with a piercing cry.

"Save me!" He ran behind Yoneda and pointed at the storage room.

"There's a monster in there!"

"A monster? Are you sure you're not just going insane?" Yoneda smirked. Matsushima pouted and crossed his arms.

"I'm sure there's something in there, check for yourself."

"What's going on?" (Y/N) made her way over to the commotion.

"There's a monster in the storage room, (L/N)!"

"A monster?" She looked at him confusedly. "Monsters are real?"

"Yes! It was fat and furry... Did I mention fat?!"

"You guys are too noisy," Sakusa scorned and went back to his serving practice.

"Let me go check." Seconds later, everyone heard a shrill scream coming from (Y/N).

Sakusa dropped his ball and ran inside the storage room to see her backed up into the corner.

"The monster ate her!" Matsushima screamed, at which Yoneda rolled his eyes.

"Sakusa went to check on her, so she'll be fine."

"What if he gets eaten too?"

"..."

Sakusa searched for (Y/N), who was in the corner and staring at the other side of the room. He turned around to where she was staring only to see a giant furry beast under the volleyball cart with its eye gleaming red.

"Tch. I thought we cleaned out the storage room." He wrinkled his nose and grabbed (Y/N)'s wrist before walking out.

"They're alive!" Matsushima pointed at (Y/N) and Sakusa.

(Y/N) was white as chalk. Her eyes and her mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise.

"There's a rat in there. The place is screwed, let's burn it down with the rat," Sakusa plainly stated.

"We have a Code R!" Matsushima then proceeded to run around the gym, screeching like a banshee.

A sigh slowly escaped Yoneda's mouth as he lowered his face into his hand. "I guess we have to get rid of it."

"We burn the room down."

"No, we sacrifice someone."

Everyone turned their heads to look at Matsushima. He finally stopped running and frowned at the sudden attention. "What? Don't tell me..."

"I did not agree to this." Matsushima was holding a broom and waited at the entrance to the storage room, while the rest of the team watched from behind.

"Don't worry. You just need to get the rat out of the room." Yoneda smiled and patted his shoulder for reassurance.

"Well, here I go."

He took a deep breath and walked into the storage room. He looked around for a bit before spotting the giant creature huddled in the corner. Its deadly red eyes stared right into his own.

"I can't do this!" He threw the broom at the creature making it run around the room erratically, causing Matsushima to shriek uncontrollably.

Outside, the team listened in on the battle happening inside. They could hear the sound of supplies and gears falling onto the ground with a bang.

Yoneda was cackling his head off. His body started rocking from all the laughing. Komori scratched his cheeks, uncertain if they should help him out. Sakusa crossed his arms and looked at the whole ordeal, unamused.

Finally, the door flew open, and Matsushima ran out with his hair all dishevelled. But he wasn't the only one that came out. The giant furry creature ran out from behind him, causing everyone to scream and run away.

The whole gym was in panic mode.

The rodent ran around before finding its spot under the bleachers.

Everyone slowly made their way out of their hiding spots to check if the rat had left the gym.

"Well, this might be a problem." Yoneda placed his hand on his chin, trying to come up with a way to get rid of the pest.

"We should've burned the room with the rat when we had the chance," Sakusa grumbled.

"Why don't we try to lure it out?" (Y/N) finally snapped out of her shock and stepped down from the bench she was standing on. "We could make a trail of food leading outside."

"That sounds like a good idea, but where are we going to get the food?"

"I think I have some leftover crackers in my backpack." Everyone turned to face Matsushima, who had climbed the wall and hung on the ledge of the windows. The windows weren't far that off the ground, but it was far enough to leave a 190 cm man hanging.

"How did you- I'm not even going to ask anymore." Yoneda pinched the bridge of his nose in disappointment.

"I'm just a fantastic climber, for your information!" Matsushima smirked and jumped down from the ledge. He stumbled as he landed onto the gym floor. "So, are we going to use the cracker or not?"

"You're such an imbecile."

Sakusa decided that he didn't want to be part of the whole situation and went back to practice. (Y/N) tried to convince him to help, but having him agree was out of the question.

"I'm not getting anywhere near that rat."

**• • •**

"So this is the plan, we'll have pieces of crackers leading outside, and the rat will follow the crumbs. Once the rat exits the gym, Matsushima will jump down from the bleachers and slam the door shut." (Y/N) explained.

"Wait, why me?"

"Because you were the one that let the rat out of the storage room."

"Well, it's better than keeping it in there," he sighed and left to take his position.

After setting up the plan, (Y/N) watched from afar to see how the ploy will play out. Slowly, the creature emerged from its hiding spot and ate the first piece of cracker. She observed as the rat ate the rest of the cracker one by one.

Eventually, the rat stepped outside and nibbled on the remaining crackers. On cue, Matsushima jumped down from the bleacher, except he ended up slipping on the floor with a bam. The rat got startled by the loud noise and ran away. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched as Matsushima slowly rose.

"Ouch, why does the floor have to be so hard." He rubbed the back of his head and winced.

"Are you okay?" (Y/N) ran towards him.

"Serves him right for doing something so stupid and dangerous," Yoneda scoffed.

"Do you need any medical attention?"

"I don't think so." Matsushima jumped up and posed. "I'm fine, see!"

(Y/N) giggled while Yoneda rolled his eyes. His idiocy was going to be the end of him.

"Be careful next time."

"Right, right." Matsushima grinned and scratched his head.

"Why are you all just standing there?" Iizuna appeared at the entrance of the gym. He was held back to help some teachers before he could attend practice. "Aren't you supposed to be practicing, Matsushima?"

Matsushima stretched his arms and ran back to where everyone was before he could get a scolding from Iizuna. (Y/N) tried to stop Iizuna as he walked towards the storage room but failed.

"Why is the storage room all messed up? How did this even happen?"

It was going to be a long night of cleaning up for the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's just a random idea that popped into my head, and it did not turn out the way i interpreted  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	15. rice porridge

Summer came fast as the music turned up to full volume. The sky blazed blue, and the sun is a celebration of yellow, free and bright. The trees rose to the occasion, donning their best verdant hues, and everywhere are the flowers, the scattered rainbow that they are.

The summer break had started for everyone, but Itachiyama was still going strong with their practices. Interhigh was coming up fast after all, with only a month left to spare.

The team was in the midst of their practice when they finally notice something was off.

"Where's (Y/N)?" Komori looked around for a certain (H/C)-haired adolescent.

_Waves of heat coursed through her blood, a cold sweat glistened in her gaunt features. Her eyes sunken, and her skin sallow, everything ached, everything sagged. The glass of water stared at her from the bedside table, and she took a sip before plopping back onto her pillow._

Sakusa shrugged, last time he saw and talked to her was two days ago at practice. It was unusual for her not to show up. Had something unfortunate happened to her? (Y/N) was dedicated to her job as the team's manager, suddenly not showing up was odd for her.

The practice eventually concluded, and Sakusa debated in his head if he should go find out what happened to her. Incidentally, he remembered that she had given him her number. He fished out his phone and searched through his contact list for her name.

His phone rang for a few seconds before a groggy voice picked up. "Hello?"

On the other side, (Y/N) was tucked into her bed with multiple blankets swaddling her. She was in the middle of sleeping when her phone went off. She let out a slow groan before rolling over her bedside table and answering the call.

"Are you okay?" Sakusa asked over the phone.

"Yeah, I'm fin- ACHOO!" He could hear a distant sneeze through the phone.

"Are you sick, is that why you didn't come to the practice?"

"Maybe."

The line went silent for a few seconds before Sakusa popped a question.

"Are your parents home?"

"No, they went out of town for business work, why-"

The call suddenly ended, and (Y/N) stared at her phone. "Hello? Helloo??" But no reply.

She exasperatedly sighed before closing her eyes and drifting off into her dreamland. She had barely closed her eyes for an hour before her doorbell starting ringing.

Her tiredness wasn't helping. She just wanted to go back to sleep, why couldn't anyone understand that.

She wrapped a thin blanket around her body before walking sluggishly towards the door. She looked through the peephole to see Sakusa with his signature ugly glare, standing there.

"Kiyo? What are you doing here?" She quickly flung the door open.

Sakusa could see her face had paled, and her eyes were sunken. She looked so tired as if she hadn't slept for days.

"I brought you some rice porridge." He held up a bag that contained a fairly big metal thermo lunch box.

"Oh." (Y/N) shifted to the side so that Sakusa could come in. After closing the door, she trudged towards the couch and plopped down, face first. Sakusa followed shortly after and placed the bag onto the coffee table.

"Did you take your medicine yet?"

"Yes," (Y/N) groaned out.

"Did you go to the doctor?"

"Yes."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, and I'll eat the porridge later. You don't need to worry so much, Kiyo. I'll be fine."

Sakusa stood silently for a few moments before furrowing his brows.

"How did you manage to even get sick the week before our training camp?"

His tone was bitter, not in a hostile way, but as an exasperation for (Y/N)'s health.

"I don't even know anymore." Her voice was muffled as she buried her face into the pillow.

"You should take care of yourself idiot," Sakusa muttered out and sat down on a seat on a nearby armchair. "If you had taken care of yourself properly, you wouldn't have gotten sick."

"Your nagging makes you sound like my mother. Are you my mother now?" (Y/N) teased, which made her receive a glare from Sakusa.

A few moments of silence enveloped the room until (Y/N) started coughing uncontrollably, replacing the sound of silence. Sakusa jumped up from his seat and walked into the kitchen before coming back with a glass of water.

She struggled to sit up but manages as Sakusa handed her the glass of water. "Drink."

He stood at least three feet away from her and chose to stretch his arms to hand her the glass of water. Nonetheless, she took the glass and drank it all in one breath.

"Aren't you scared of the germs?" (Y/N) asked, tilting her head.

Sakusa turned his head to the side, avoiding her gaze. "I'm wearing three layers of mask and two layers of gloves."

"Aren't you sweating in all of that? I mean it's summer..."

"Protecting me from the germs is all that matters."

"I can't believe you're wearing all of that just for me." (Y/N) placed her hands over her mouth and giggled.

"Me too," Sakusa mumbled loud enough for him to hear only.

"So mind telling me about the upcoming training camp?" She flopped back down onto the couch and adjusted her position to comfortably lie down.

Sakusa sighed. "Aren't you the manager? Aren't you supposed to know about it?"

"I do, I just want to know more about the schools."

"Well, it's hosted at Shiratorizawa Academy located in Miyagi. I don't know the rest of the schools going except Shiratorizawa. I guess they're good... Only because they have Wakatoshi-kun."

"Wakatoshi?" (Y/N) confusedly asked.

"He's one of the other top three spikers in the country, Ushijima Wakatoshi. His spikes are impressively powerful."

"Oh, so he's kind of like you? That's cool!"

"I guess you could say that..." Sakusa's voice slowly trailed off as he sat back down onto the armchair. "You talk too much, you should get some rest, or you'll never get better."

"Fineee." (Y/N) pulled her blanket closer to her chin to let the warmth make her slowly drift off to sleep.

A few minutes passed, and Sakusa listened as (Y/N)'s slow, shallow breaths fill the room. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically as if it was following a slow tune. He had seen her fall asleep many times, but this time, it made his chest tighten.

It was an unknown feeling to him. Was it sadness? No, he had felt that before when he learned of (Y/N)'s sudden departure. What was it? Was it the feeling of missing her after all these years?

When he had finally seen her again on that day, he could feel his heart beating faster than usual, not from fear, but a reason that he could not understand. Excitement? It felt similar to that but different enough to know that it wasn't excitement.

Her voice, her smile, and her presence were like a drug that made his heartbeat erratic. Was he on the verge of a heart attack? Is that why? A feeling that might end up killing him... He would have to ask Komori later.

"I don't mind your germs..." He whispered loud enough for anyone in the room to hear.

(Y/N) continued to snore away in her melodic sleep. The only movement was the slight rise and fall of her chest. In sleep, she was angelic, her face as fresh as a dewdrop, making gentle snuffling noises as she breathed.

Such an addicting sight.

**• • •**

The lingering light was obliterated by the rapidly falling night. The once salmon and purple sky transformed into a vast expanse of jet-black that engulfed the town.

Sakusa lost track of time as he stayed with (Y/N) for the rest of the day. She was still sleeping soundly as the young man sat for an awfully long time, lost in his thoughts.

He wanted to stay longer to make sure she was okay, just in case anything that might happen if he had left.

As he stood up from his seat, he could feel his legs fall asleep. How long had he been sitting for? It was late now, and he had to go home. He took one last glance at (Y/N)'s sleeping figure before leaving the house and making sure to lock the door.

**• • •**

The next day, (Y/N) was feeling all better. She dialled Sakusa's number and waited for a few seconds before he finally answered. "Hello?"

"Thank you for the rice porridge, Kiyo! I'm feeling much better now, thanks to you! I think I'll be able to come back tomorrow!" (Y/N) cheerfully spoke into her phone. Her voice was not groggy anymore. Instead, it was smooth and honey-like.

She could hear a sigh escape from the other side of her phone. "You need to start properly taking care of yourself."

"I will!"

After exchanging a few more words (mostly nagging from Sakusa), Sakusa had to resume practice and (Y/N) had to take her medicine, making the two sides end the conversation there.

_"You never know when the symptoms might show up again."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 is confusing but fun to use :)  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	16. an unpleasant encounter

After a blisteringly hot day, the sun had finally set. The relief from the hot moistureless air was palpable as the cooling breeze swept over them.

Amid the starlight was the ever glow of the moon, that mother of the sky who watched over every beating heart, steady and true.

(Y/N) let out a long yawn as the Itachiyama boy's volleyball club gathered in front of the school gates.

"Why are departing in the middle of the night?" She rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes as she gazed at the bus parked in front of them.

"Because we need to be there on time, it takes at least 4 hours to get there." Komori cheerfully informed her. (Y/N) raised a tired eyebrow at his lively response. How could this boy be so energetic in the middle of the night? God, she wished she had that type of energy.

"You can sleep on the bus," Sakusa grumbled out. He hated the fact that they had to depart in the middle of the night, but at the same time, he didn't care as long as they arrived on time.

The team slowly boarded the bus, one by one. By the time (Y/N) sat down, she had already fallen into a dreamless sleep.

**• • •**

"Oi! Wake up," Sakusa watched as (Y/N) slept with her head resting against the window. They had just entered Sendai and were on their way to Shiratorizawa, which was another five minutes.

He tried calling her name again but still no response. By now, they had arrived at Shiratorizawa and (Y/N) was still sleeping away.

"Wake up, (Y/N)." Sakusa flicked her forehead causing (Y/N) to jolt awake.

"Huh?!" Her eyes widened as she looked around frantically. "Are we there already?"

"It's nine o'clock. We're unloading the bags right now. All the other teams have already arrived."

"Oh."

"I've been calling your name for the last five minutes, you sleep like a log," Sakusa grumbled under his mask.

"Sorry, I must've been exhausted."

"Just leave your stuff in your dorm and be in the gym by nine-thirty." He walked off the bus, leaving (Y/N) alone.

"Wait, dorms?" She quickly scrambled off the bus to see a giant building with many other smaller buildings surrounding it.

"This is like a university campus..."

She took a quick look around as she walked towards the dorms. "They even have a horseback riding field?!"

"How... Posh..."

After leaving her stuff in her dorm room, (Y/N) eyed the nearby clock that was hanging above her door frame. There were still fifteen more minutes until she was required to be in the gym. She decided that being fifteen minutes early was better than being one minute late, so she happily pranced towards the gym.

Upon entering, (Y/N) could see the coaches having a small meeting on the other side of the room. She looked around to see players scattered around but no sign of Itachiyama. They must've been still unpacking.

"Oho, what do we have here? How lucky of us to stumble upon a cute girl."

(Y/N) grimaced at the fact that another person was trying to hit on her. She turned around to face a man with spiky blonde hair and black studs. From the yellow tracksuit he was wearing, she assumed that he was from J-Johzenji? She wasn't completely sure.

"Can I have your number?" He asked in a carefree manner. "It'll only take you a second."

"Yeah, no." She tried to walk past them, but they were persistent and blocked the path.

"Come on, just your number, Kitten-chan."

At this point, (Y/N) was not in the mood to deal with him. Also, what did he just call her? Kitten-chan? That's a weird nickname...

"Why would anyone want your number?"

(Y/N) turned around to see another guy with brunette hair and a smug smile across his face. He wore a white tracksuit with turquoise decals signifying that he wasn't part of the blondie's team. 

"She wants my number, of course!" The brunette proudly said to the other two. (Y/N) irked at his statement, when did she ever say that she wanted anyone's number?

"Oh, you're the grand king!" The blonde pointed out. "That's kind of disappointing."

An intense staredown between three men initiated. (Y/N) stood awkwardly in between as the three men bickered.

"Oi, what are you doing, Trashykawa?"

Their silent fight finally broke up when a dark-haired boy bonked the brunettes head.

"Ouch, that hurts, Iwa-chan!" 'Trashykawa' rubbed his head as 'Iwa-chan' turned to face (Y/N).

"Don't tell me... You're harassing another lady?"

"I am not! Also, I have never harassed anyone for your information! You're so mean Iwa-chan." The brunette pouted and turned away.

Just as the blondie from Johzenji was about to intercept, the coaches called everyone over. "Gather round!"

"Be sure to give me your number next time, Kitten-chan!" The blonde waved as he walked off.

"I'll see you later too, Kitten-chan!" 'Trashykawa' smiled before 'Iwa-chan' bonked him on the again.

"Ow, what was that for, Iwa-chan?"

"You're scaring her."

"You're the one scaring her! She probably thinks you're an abuser for hitting me!"

"What did you say?"

"Sorry, sorry! I won't do it again!"

(Y/N) stood silent in her spot as she tried to comprehend the events that just happened. First, she got hit on. Second, her new nickname was now Kitten-chan. And just now, she watched someone get bonked on the head multiple times. What the heck?

She shook off her thoughts and ran to where everyone gathered. Was that encounter supposed to be lucky or unlucky?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tea is good for the soul and vital for me   
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	17. king of the court

"We meet again, Kitten-chan!" Terushima waved from the other side of the court. "Oh? Kitten-chan is from Itachiyama?"

(Y/N) huffed as she plopped down onto the bench. Their first match of the day just had to be against Johzenji.

Itachiyama got ready to receive the ball as Terushima went up to serve. They watched as the ball flew over their head and land way out of bounds.

"Oopsies!" Terushima laughed out as his teammates ruffled his hair.

Sakusa frowned as he watched the opposite team jump around.

"What was that?" Matsushima raised an eyebrow.

"They're just like you..." Yoneda sighed.

"What? Well, that just shows how fun I am!"

"No, it just shows how stupid you are."

They bickered around until Iizuna intercepted them by yanking their collars.

"Stop fighting, you guys argue like a married couple."

"We're not married!" Matsushima and Yoneda yelled out at the same time.

"Calm down. It was just a saying..."

The game only lasted 15 minutes before Itachiyama came out with their first win of the day. The score was 25 to 15, a terrible defeat to Johzenji.

"Their plays were unpredictable," Sakusa muttered as he put on his mask. "How troublesome... Who's our next opponent?"

(Y/N) hummed as she glanced at her paper. "According to the schedule, it's Wakutani South."

They walked to the neighbouring court to see that Wakutani South had just finished their match against Shiratorizawa.

The members of Wakutani were panting and chugging their water while Shiratorizawa leisurely walked off the court to their next match. (Y/N) felt a little sorry for them, they had to play two games in a row with their worn-out conditions.

"Let's go," Sakusa says, and walked ahead as (Y/N) quickly scuttered to keep up.

**• • •**

(Y/N) scribbled on a piece of paper as she watched Itachiyama play against Wakutani South. She swore that she saw them sprawled out on the floor, all worn out, but now, they were receiving Itachiyama's spikes like it was their first game of the day.

_"Solid receives and offence,"_ she pondered as she briefly looked over her notes. _"#1 is someone to look out for. He can angle the ball to ricochet off blocker's hands."_

Even with their A-game effort, Itachiyama still managed to win with a score of 25 to 17. This time, Wakutani was extremely exhausted, and each member of the team was lying on the ground, breathless. They had just played two powerhouse schools consecutively. Who wouldn't be tired?

Itachiyama finally got their first break of the day. They were free to roam around and watch the other ongoing matches or practice some more on the extra courts.

Sakusa and (Y/N) just happened to stumble upon the ongoing match between Shiratorizawa and Aobajohsai. Oikawa was just about to serve, the gush of wind when he hit the ball whooshed through (Y/N)'s hair. She had never seen such a precise and powerful serve.

Shiratorizawa barely received the ball without it flying off their arm. Their setter sets it to #1 of Shiratorizawa, who easily broke through the block and slammed the ball into the court. The sight made (Y/N) feel chills running down her spine. Was his spike possibly more powerful than Sakusa's?

No, it was definitely more powerful than Sakusa's. She also noticed that he was left-handed, making the ball harder to receive.

"You seriously annoy me," Oikawa sneered. "I don't understand why the coach even accepted the invitation to this training camp."

"There was a place where you could've honed your potential to the fullest, but you chose the wrong way." Oikawa glared at Ushijima.

"Are we really doing this now? I guess we are."

Before anything could happen, Iwaizumi slapped Oikawa on the back. "He's not worth fighting with, let's just finish up and move on."

(Y/N) stared blankly at the two, were they fighting? It looked like a petty fight. She shrugged and continued watching the match progress. It shortly ended with Shiratorizawa winning against Aobajohsai.

"We won't lose next time!" Oikawa hollered out as Shiratorizawa left the court.

"You should have come to Shiratorizawa if you wanted to win."

It was now Itachiyama's turn to go against Aobajohsai. (Y/N) couldn't wait to see Oikawa serve and sets in action again. His sets looked so natural and perfect that it made the spikes look easy. But she also trusted her team that they would be able to receive his serve. They did have Komori as their guardian angel, after all.

As Itachiyama got in their position to receive Oikawa's serve, (Y/N) had a weird feeling that he was going to do a lighter serve that would land in the front of the court. Komori noticed this and moved up just as Oikawa hit the ball.

He easily received it thanks to his quick footwork and thinking. The ball perfectly got passed to Iizuna, who sets it to Yoneda. Aobajohsai had been focusing way too much on Sakusa that they forgot about the others.

Itachiyama eventually won because of everyone's quick thinking and footwork.

They were able to receive Oikawa's serve and block Iwaizumi's spikes. 25 to 20 was the score Aobajohsai would have to remember.

The last match of the day was Johzenji against Shiratorizawa, which Shiratorizawa won with a huge gap, 25 to 13. Everyone was totally beat on the first day, and the heat wasn't helping.

The heat of the day has ebbed to a comforting warmth. The sunshine had lost its brightness, and the colours of the verandah are softened.

Sakusa draped his track jacket over his shoulder as he began exiting the gym. Some had gone to the cafeteria for dinner while others stayed in the gym for extra practice. He had already finished dinner before anyone could fill the cafeteria and infect him with their germs. He chose to turn in early for the night and walked back to his dorm room.

(Y/N) happily ate her udon while looking over the schedule for the next day. She wondered where Sakusa was but assumed he had already turned in for the night knowing that he would do that.

"I spot the manager from Itachiyama!"

She choked on the noodles when she heard the loud outburst. Quickly grabbing the cup of water on the side, she gulped it down along with the noodles.

Suddenly, a bright red-haired boy slid into the seat in front of her. "Hello! Did I scare you?"

"Kind of."

"Ah, sorry!" He smiled. "I'm Tendou SA-TO-RI! What's your name?"

"(L/N) (F/N). Nice to meet you, Tendou-san."

"You can drop the honorific, just call me Tendou!"

"Right, what brings you here?" (Y/N) asked before taking a bite from her onigiri.

"This is a cafeteria, you know?" His mouth curved as he clasped his hands.

"Oh! Sorry about that, I didn't mean to make you feel unwanted or anything..."

"Just kidding! I already finished dinner long ago. No one wanted to talk about Jump with me, and Wakatoshi-kun went to bed, so I came here and saw you!"

"You also read Jump?" A small delighted smile formed on (Y/N)'s face.

"Yes, do you?"

"Yep! I would have never thought to find someone that also reads Jump!"

"Finally, someone who wants to talk about Jump!" Tendou bounced up from his seat. "Have you watched (anime name)?"

"Of course! (anime name) was amazing!"

(Y/N) spent the rest of her dinner time with Tendou, discussing Shōnen Jump. They connected over the fact that they both enjoyed the same shows and read the same mangas. Tendou was extremely happy to find someone he could discuss Jump with. It made his day better.

**• • •**

Sakusa glanced left and right as he walked down the halls. He finally stopped in front of a dorm room with the number 320. If he remembered correctly, this was the right room. He knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds before the door slowly opened.

"Kiyo? What are you doing here this late?" (Y/N) peaked from behind the door.

"Can we discuss it inside? I don't want anyone to think that I'm a creep for being here," Sakusa grumbled and turned his head to the side.

"Ah! Yes, come in!"

(Y/N) swung the door open for Sakusa, who somewhat begrudgingly walked inside.

"It's unusual for you to randomly visit my room unannounced. Did something happen?" She asked and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Some noisy people came to our room, and Komori let them in. It was too crowded, so I left," Sakusa huffed out and leaned onto a nearby wall.

"What about my germs?"

"It's better than other people's germ..."

(Y/N) raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"No, you asked about your germs, so I just told you the truth. I didn't say you were germless. You're still full of germs."

(Y/N) gloomed. "Wow, thanks."

"But I don't really care about your germs," Sakusa mumbled under his mask.

"Did you say something? Sorry, I couldn't hear it..."

"Nevermind," he cleared his throat before looking at the clock that hung over the door. "I think they left now, so I should leave."

Before Sakusa could close the door behind him, (Y/N) quickly grabbed her piece of paper that was full of notes and handed it to Sakusa. "Wait! You might want this."

"What is it?" Sakusa raised an eyebrow and took the paper.

"Notes on the teams we played today, you might want to read it to understand the teams more!"

"Oh, thanks."

The door clicked as Sakusa gently closed it behind him. He looked at the paper while walking back to his room. The notes were neatly organized and were easy to read. Not to mention, it was filled with details on each team. Sakusa was impressed by (Y/N)'s observant ability. It would help a lot for their games.

"Where did you go?" Komori asked as Sakusa walked through the door.

"To (Y/N)'s room."

"Huuhh? Did you do anything to her?" Komori cheekily smiled and winked.

"No, she just gave me some notes, and I left," Sakusa simply says, and hung his jacket on the hooks.

"Ehhh? That's boring..."

"What did you want me to do?"

"I expected you to kiss her," Komori teased.

"Why would I do that?"

"I'm going to bed now, goodnight!" Komori hopped into his bed and turned off the lights.

Sakusa scowled at his response and walked into the bathroom, why would he do something so INTIMATE to (Y/N)? He had never thought about her that way, but now-

No. (Y/N) was just a close friend and nothing more. What was he thinking? Sakusa let out a long sigh. He needed another shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm craving something sweet  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	18. fresh new day

Slowly and reluctantly, (Y/N) uncovered her face. She blinked, closed her eyes, and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight penetrated the window as she sat up. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned.

(Y/N) glanced at the clock as her eyes slowly widened as she was ten minutes late. Her alarm should've gone off fifteen minutes ago, but it seemed like her phone died. How could she have forgotten to charge it?

She quickly scrambled to the washroom and scrubbed her teeth before putting on her day clothes (let's just say she showered at night and doesn't shower in the morning). She ran out of her room and flew down the stairs, making it in time for breakfast.

"Woah! (Y/N) can fly!" Matsushima's eye gleamed as he pointed at (Y/N)'s out-of-breath figure

"Sorry... My alarm... Didn't... Go off..."

**• • •**

Time passed, and the cafeteria gradually emptied. Some people started making their way to the gym while others went back to their room.

As (Y/N) turned around after putting away her tray, she bumped into a firm chest. "Oww..."

She felt strong hands on her shoulder as she stepped back, she tilted her head upwards to see a familiar blonde-haired boy.

"Kitten-chan! Glad to see you again!" Terushima smiled brightly at her.

(Y/N) went stone-faced at the sight. It was too early for this to be happening. "Can I have your number?"

"No, sorry."

"Aw, come on. How about this, if we win a match against your team, you have to give me your number!"

"Um-" (Y/N) took a step back in an attempt to get away from Terushima. Suddenly, the boy in front of her got shoved to the side with an 'ack!'

"I'm so sorry about that!" A girl with short, brown hair and bangs deeply bowed in front of her.

(Y/N) was taken aback by the sudden appearance and apology. "Uh, it's fine."

"He's always like this, so please ignore him."

"Hey! I was just about to get her number," Terushima made a face and crossed his arms.

"Stop bothering people for their numbers!" The girl pushed Terushima out of the cafeteria before looking over her shoulder once more. "I'm sorry about him once again!"

(Y/N) awkwardly waved as she watched Terushima get pushed reluctantly out of the room.

"Attention all volleyball players attending the Shiratorizawa Training Camp, please make your way to the gym as matches are starting soon."

**• • •**

The first match of the day for Itachiyama was against Shiratorizawa. (Y/N) hummed as she walked alongside Sakusa towards their assigned court.

"Yo!" A cheery voice called out. Sakusa and (Y/N) turned around to see Tendou approaching them. "It's good to see you again, (L/N)!"

(Y/N) giggled softly. "Hello, Tendou!"

"You know him?" Sakusa gravely asked.

"Ah, yes! We both found out that we liked Shonen Jump and kicked it off from there!

Tendou happily nodded along as she explained to Sakusa.

"Oh, long time no see, Wakatoshi-kun." Sakusa looked behind Tendou as a tall, dark olive-brown haired man came towards them.

"Likewise." The man spoke with a resonating tone before looking at (Y/N). She slightly jumped when she saw him looking at her with his stoic expression. "Did you get a manager?"

"Yes, this is (L/N) (Y/N)."

"I-It's nice to m-meet you." (Y/N) politely greeted and bowed. She was pretty confident and never stuttered before when introducing herself, but for some reason, the man in front of her intimidated her.

He bowed back. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Ushijima Wakatoshi."

"I think you're scaring her, Wakatoshi-kun." Tendou patted the latter's shoulder.

"Oh, please excuse me for scaring you."

"Nono, it's all right." (Y/N) waved her hands as a dismissal to his apology.

"Oi, Tendou!" Semi called from the other side of the court. "The game's about to start!"

"Ohoho, I think we'll be going now then. See you later!" Tendou spun around and jogged back to his side of the court.

"I wish your team good luck, we won't be going easy," Ushijima simply told Sakusa.

"You too." With that, the two aces walked to their designated side. The tension in the air rose as the two teams looked at one another.

"Let's have a good game!"

The match started with Yoneda serving and Iizuna, Sakusa, and Matsushima in the front. The ball went directly to Tendou, who passed it to Shirabu. Naturally, Matsushima knew that he was going to set to Ushijima and went up for the block.

_"Argg!"_ Matsushima grimaced as Ushijima easily spiked past his block. Thankfully, Komori was ready to receive the ball, but it somewhat went haywire.

Iizuna still managed to set the ball to Sakusa, who spiked the block off of Tendou's fingertips, earning them the first point.

Despite Komori's libero skills, Ushijima still managed to gain some points from spiking the ball off of Komori's arms. (Y/N) got chills as she watched the match play out. Everyone's forearms were red from receiving each other's spikes.

Matsushima was able to block some of Ushijima's spike, which shocked the schools attending the training camp, and members of Shiratorizawa were left baffled by the sight. Every time Matsushima got the chance to block Ushijima's spikes, the room was in an uproar.

Itachiyama was a team everyone needed to be careful around.

Long rallies between the two teams happened very often, and (Y/N) would get anxious from just watching them. She had to grab her seat to prevent her from jumping up whenever something extraordinary happened. It was painful not to be able to jump and shout whenever she wanted to. She had to keep her composure.

"Is that Shiratorizawa against Itachiyama?" A spectator pointed out to his friend.

"It looks like Itachiyama is currently ahead! That's unbelievable!"

"I've never seen Shiratorizawa lose a game."

"Is it even possible for them to lose?"

"I have no idea. But then again, I heard that Itachiyama is actually from Tokyo!"

"Aren't Tokyo teams like really good?"

"I don't know, never seen them play."

The score was now 24 to 23 with Itachiyama at match-point. Shiratorizawa played hard not to let the ball touch the ground.

Itachiyama's defence was good along with their offence making it difficult for Shiratorizawa, who mainly focused on their offence.

Itachiyama finally won the point when Sakusa spiked the ball off of Kawanishi's fingers, causing it to fly into the back wall on Shiratorizawa's side.

Everyone collapsed on cue once the referee blew the whistle. Ushijima and Sakusa were the only ones left standing but generously sweating. (Y/N) rushed to hand everyone their towels and water bottle, which everyone chugged down.

"Incredible! Itachiyama won against the undefeatable Shiratorizawa!"

"That's scary..."

For the rest of the day, Itachiyama was on a roll and won all of their matches. They were the talk of the evening. People discussed the match as if it was a historical event that changed history. Some didn't even believe it actually happened.

Another cloudy night rolls in covering the last of the twilight sky as if the blackness failed to come fast enough. The path between the dorms to the gymnasiums was frightening. The street lamps were dim and barely lit up the path. Relying on your eyes to adjust was the most reliable option if you wanted to walk to your destinations.

"Finally! Dinnertime!" Matsushima stretched his hands over his head as he walked out of the gym with most of the team trailing from behind.

"I'm going to practice some more," Sakusa muttered out and walked the opposite direction from the cafeteria.

"How about you, (L/N)? Where are you going to go?" Matsushima asked.

"I think I'll check on Kiyo. He seems tired."

"Alright, toodle-oo!"

(Y/N) walked a short distance to the separate gym. She could hear the distant sound of balls hitting the floor as she drew nearer. The door squeaked when she pulled the door open, alerting Sakusa of someone's presence.

"(Y/N)?" Sakusa recognized the (H/C) hair peeking out from the door.

"Is everything okay? You seem tired, but you're still practicing." (Y/N) took a step into the rather empty gym. The floor was scattered with volleyballs. It looked like Sakusa was practicing his serving.

"I'm alright," Sakusa told her and served again. The ball landed perfectly on the backline, which never failed to amaze (Y/N). "Could you help toss some balls for me?"

"Sure!"

(Y/N) threw the ball just above the net as Sakusa carefully analyzed the toss before spiking it into the ground. "Can you toss it a little higher?"

This went on for about ten minutes until they ran out of balls, which were now scattered around the gym. The two casually picked up the volleyballs and returned them into the cart.

"You used to play volleyball, right?" Sakusa asked out of nowhere.

"Well yeah, but I'm not good at it." She hummed as she placed the remaining balls into the cart.

"Do you mind if you hit a few of my sets? I want to try setting..."

"Setting?"

"Sometimes, Iizuna can't set, so it's up the rest of the team to set the ball."

"Ah, that's true."

"So, will you spike my set?" Sakusa picked up a ball.

"Okay!"

The first time (Y/N) went up for the spike, she terribly missed and ended up having the ball fall onto her head.

"You're jumping too early, try jumping a second later," Sakusa instructed as he set the next ball. This time, (Y/N) managed to hit the ball, but it ended up landing out of bounds.

"I thought you played volleyball before," Sakusa deadpanned.

"I'm rusty at this, how long has it been? Two years since I played?"

Suddenly, Sakusa's lip slightly tugged upwards just enough for (Y/N) to notice. It caught her off-guard seeing him smile. Sakusa didn't know why he did that. When he saw (Y/N) pouting, his mouth automatically turned upwards as if it had a mind of its own.

"A-Are you okay, Kiyo?"

His mouth immediately turned into a frown as he clicked his tongue. The room went silent for a few seconds until a loud growl radiated throughout the gym. (Y/N) smiled sheepishly as she covered her stomach.

"Sorry. I haven't eaten dinner yet."

Sakusa gave out a weary sigh. "Let's get some food."

After cleaning up the nets and balls, (Y/N) skipped through the darkness towards the cafeteria with Sakusa following from behind.

The area lacked light, and passersby getting scared by a tall shadow was an understatement. They were actually scarred for life. As they walked back to their dorms, they saw a giant shadow figure and didn't know it was Sakusa.

They thought it was a giant yokai coming for their souls. They screamed and pointed at Sakusa before running as fast as they could to their housing.

"Something wrong, Kiyo?" (Y/N) asked. Sakusa surveyed around him before resting his gaze on her.

"Just heard something, that's all."

"Oh, okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> people can be so scary sometimes  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	19. disinfectant

A metallic tapping noise reverberated from the entry hallway. (Y/N) tapped her foot against the floor as she waited for the door to open. Finally, the door swung open, but the first thing she noticed was the smell of antiseptics filling her nostrils.

"My nose is on fire!" She cupped her hand over her nose, and as she peeked behind Sakusa's figure, she could see Komori flopped over on a chair. "Is Komori okay?"

Sakusa moved to the side, letting (Y/N) walk into his shared room. She poked Komori's cheek multiple times but no response.

She gasped and turned to face Sakusa. "I think he's dead."

Sakusa stayed unfazed and instead furrowed his brows. "No, he's just not used to being so clean and pure."

"What did you do to the room?"

"I got rid of the germs," Sakusa simply says. "Komori was filthy, so I sprayed him with some disinfectants."

"You did what?" (Y/N)'s eye widened as she looked back and forth between Sakusa and Komori. "I don't think you should be spraying him with disinfectants..."

"That's the only way to get rid of the germs."

"So, Komori is a germ now?"

"Yes."

"...Are you sure he's going to be fine?" (Y/N) poked Komori's cheek once again, but he was out like a light.

"He'll be fine... So, what did you need?"

She completely forgot about what she was there for after finding Komori unconscious. She remembered the tablet she was holding and held it up. "Ah, I have matches recorded on this tablet if you wanted to review them."

Sakusa eyed the tablet suspiciously before hesitantly taking it from (Y/N)'s outstretched hand. "...Thanks."

Not even a second passed before Sakusa took his wet wipes and wiped the tablet down. "There, much better."

"..."

**• • •**

Day 4 of the training camp started. The third match of the day was against Wakutani South and (Y/N) could see how much they had grown over the past few days.

They were more familiar with Itachiyama and somewhat adapted to Sakusa's spikes. They figured out Itachiyama's strongest offence players were going to be Sakusa and Yoneda, and their strongest defence players were going to be Matsushima and Komori.

Even though they lost against Itachiyama again, they were able to score more points than before. They've been studying well.

Johzenji, on the other hand, well, how should she put it. They were the same unpredictable team that couldn't care less if they lost. They embraced their punishment drills after each of their matches. Every time Itachiyama had to play them, they were becoming more and more unpredictable.

"Arghh, my head hurts from trying to read their sets." Matsushima messily ran his hand through his hair.

"That's what happens when you think without a brain," Yoneda remarked and guzzled his water.

"Hey!"

(Y/N) hummed an upbeat song that was stuck in her head as she walked down the corridors of Shiratorizawa. Just as she turned the corner, she heard some heated yelling going on. She watched as a boy grabbed another boy's collar and balled up his fist.

"How the hell are you in the team if you can't even score a goal!"

"You're the one to say! You lost the winning point!"

"It's your fault for not being able to pass properly!"

Just as one of them prepared to throw a punch, (Y/N) ran instinctively and tackled the boy who was about to strike the other guy. "Please, stop!"

(Y/N) sucked her breath in as she felt herself tumble onto the hard floor. She was paralyzed in shock as the sharp pain echoed through her body. A groan escaped the boy's lip as he slowly sat up while holding his head.

"(Y/N)? Where are you?" Komori turned the corner and stiffened at the sight. "Are you okay?!"

He rushed to (Y/N)'s side as she whimpered quietly while trying to pick herself up.

"We need to get you to the nurse's office."

"I'm fine. It's just a small fall." She dismissed Komori's helping hand as she pushed herself up from the ground only to fall back down onto her bum.

"Oww, that hurts..."

She looked at the spot where it hurts the most to see a nasty, purple bruise spreading on her knees and ankle. Was the fall that bad?

**• • •**

Sakusa hurriedly ran down the halls towards the infirmary. His hands were sweating, and his heartbeat was erratic. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind. What was happening to him? It was unusual for him to suddenly lose his composure. When he saw Komori running back without (Y/N), he knew something wasn't right.

"(Y/N)!"

He swung the door open to see (Y/N) wincing as the nurse wiped her wounds with rubbing alcohol. He exhaled the air he was holding in and walked over. (Y/N) smiled sheepishly, knowing that she was going to get an earful from Sakusa.

After the nurse bandaged up her ankle and knees, she left Sakusa and (Y/N) alone. For a few minutes, there was an uncomfortable silence. (Y/N) was terrified of what was going to happen. She had been avoiding his piercing gaze for the past few minutes, and it didn't feel good.

The silence finally broke when Sakusa softly sighed. "You absolute moron. How could you do something so dangerous without thinking? How did you even manage to do this much damage?"

"Sorry... My body just moved on its own. I must've twisted my ankle when I fell onto their leg."

"Do you need anything?"

"No."

"You're too nice sometimes," Sakusa mumbled under his mask.

Suddenly, the door slowly unlocked, revealing the two boys that were fighting. The boy (Y/N) tackled only got off with a few scratches and came to the infirmary to apologize. She learned that they were from the soccer team of Shiratorizawa and had lost a game. They were both infuriated and started fighting. They didn't mean to drag her into their mess and deeply apologized for their actions.

Sakusa harshly glared at them as they left the infirmary. The two boys shivered at the feeling of the piercing gaze on their backs.

"Don't you have a match that's about to start?" (Y/N) asked Sakusa once the door clicked close.

"Maybe."

"What are you doing here then?! You should be playing!" She crossed her arms and knitted her brows. "I'll be fine. You should focus on practicing. Nationals is coming up after all."

After a few minutes of bickering between Sakusa and (Y/N), Sakusa gave in to (Y/N)'s urges and left the infirmary to practice. He couldn't help but feel restless at the fact that she was injured. Komori noticed this because Sakusa seemed stiffer than usual whenever he spiked. His spikes weren't as powerful, and the opponents were able to easily receive it.

"(Y/N) will be alright! She's a strong person!" Komori hovered his hand over Sakusa's shoulder as they walked off the court.

"Hm."

Meanwhile, (Y/N) was enjoying herself in the nurse's office by indulging herself in a book she had found and taken occasional naps. Sakusa would visit her during his breaks, which helped her forgot about the sharp pain that was in her ankle and knees.

"I'm fine, Kiyo. You don't have to get the nurse every time I wince. She'll think you're a nuisance."

"I'm not a nuisance..."

"That's why you shouldn't get her every minute."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's always good to see Sakusa being soft ^_^  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	20. good times

The fifth and final day of the training camp arrived and (Y/N) was excited for what was to come.

"I'll make sure to get your number this time, Kitten-chan!" Terushima cupped his mouth and hollered out to (Y/N).

Her eyebrows twitched, and she clenched her fist. Good thing, their last match was against Johzenji. She couldn't stand Terushima. Whatever came after, she just hoped she wasn't with him.

Luckily, Itachiyama won, and (Y/N) didn't need to give her number to Terushima. Sadly, that didn't stop him from asking, over and over again.

For the last half of the day, the Shiratorizawa coach, Washijou Tanji, was in charge of everyone. All the schools attending the training camp were soon called together on one side of the gym and listened in for their next instructions.

"Everyone better listen closely. I'm not going to repeat myself." There was pin-drop silence. The Shiratorizawa coach paused for a second before continuing.

"For the last half of the day, everyone will be playing matches in mixed teams." Murmurs broke out amongst the players but slowly died down. Once everyone was silent, Coach Washijou continued his explanation.

"We have already put together the teams." He pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket and, in a slow, agonizing way, unfolded it.

"Team A will be Ushijima Wakatoshi, Nakashima Takeru, Hiroyuki Matsushima, Iwaizumi Hajime, Shirabu Kenjirou, Matsukawa Issei, and Tsuchiyu Arata."

He continued to announce Team B, and Team C but (Y/N) didn't attentively listen until he began to announce the players for Team E.

"Team E will be Sakusa Kiyoomi, Oikawa Tooru, Tendou Satori, Terushima Yuuji, Goshiki Tsutomu, Kindaichi Yuutarou, and Komori Motoya."

Coach Washijou finally finished announcing the rest of the teams but (Y/N) didn't care about the rest. All she could think about was the team she was going to tag along with.

Sure she could meet new people, but she didn't feel like introducing herself. Her questions were finally answered when Itachiyama's coach told her that she could accompany Team E.

She remembered that Komori and Sakusa were in Team E, so she didn't have to worry about meeting many new people. What made her heart drop was when she remembered that she was going to be with Terushima and Oikawa. She had thought she could finally be free from those two, but nope! She was going to have to spend the rest of the day with them. Great.

"Team A will be playing Team E on Court C."

Everyone dispersed to their designated court as the coaches watched from the far back where they could see everyone clearly. (Y/N) heaved a long sigh before sauntering to Court C.

"How lucky of us to be reunited, Kitten-chan!" Terushima beamed and walked closer to (Y/N). As she slowly walked back, her back hit a fairly broad chest. She tilted her head up to see Oikawa adorning a smug smile.

"Oho, Kitten-chan, how nice of you to be here."

"Hey, hey, I was talking to her first." Terushima frowned upon Oikawa's smug smirk.

"Kitten-chan doesn't want to talk with you. She wants to talk with me instead." Oikawa's smug smirk gradually changed a cheerful, 'innocent' smile.

"What are you talking about? She doesn't look very uncomfortable around you."

(Y/N) was stuck in between their dispute and couldn't decide whether she should just walk away or stay and listen. Walking away would've been the best option, but it was too late as Terushima trapped her by taking a few steps closer to Oikawa and (Y/N).

"Kitten-chan, you like me better than this Banana Head, right?" Oikawa softly asked her as if she was a child.

"Who are you calling Banana Head? Kitten-chan, you can't possibly like this, Brownie. You like me better right?" Terushima crossed his arms and tapped his foot rhythmically as he waited for an answer.

Just as (Y/N) was about to tell them that she didn't like either of them, she was interrupted by someone.

"She likes me better than both of you."

The three turned their head to the side to see Sakusa casually approaching them with his usual furrowed brows. He gave her a look that said, "just go along with it" when she widened her eyes at his comment.

"U-Uh yeah! I like Kiyo better." She took this as a chance to escape when Terushima took a step back to give Sakusa a puzzled look.

"Oho, aren't you one of the top three aces that's only a second-year? What makes you-"

Terushima was interrupted mid-sentence when the coaches blew their whistles to let everyone know that the matches were about to commence.

(Y/N) let out a hefty sigh of relief as Terushima and Oikawa walked away.

"Thanks for saving me there, Kiyo."

"It's nothing. How do they know you?"

"It was an unfortunate encounter..."

**• • •**

Their match began with Komori switching out with Kindaichi from time to time. Both teams were unbelievably loaded with good players, making the rallies quite intense. There weren't many problems when the game started, Oikawa was fully immersed in the game while Terushima only bothered (Y/N) whenever he scored.

"Cheer me on, Kitten-chan!" Right after Terushima said that he served right into the net, letting the other team gain the upper hand. Komori softly laughed while Sakusa frowned in annoyance at the constant mistake. (Y/N) pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

Team A had some problems too. Shirabu tended to set to only Ushijima and barely gave the other people on his team a chance to attack.

"Waah, I want to spike too... All I've been doing is blocking..." Matsushima hung his head and stared at the planked floors. "Blocking is fun, but that's all I've been doing for the whole game..."

As Oikawa sets to Sakusa, (Y/N) could see how perfect the set was. It wasn't too high or close to the net, just perfectly balanced. Sakusa analyzed the ball for a quick second before spiking it off Matsushima's hand, letting it fly into the nearby wall.

(match skip sponsored by author's tears)

In the end, the game became a draw with Team A winning the first match, 26-24, and Team E winning the second match, 25-22.

Each team rotated courts to face different opponents. This went on for the rest of the day since there were over seven different teams to play.

The clouds rolled in as the sun sank lower in the sky. The sound of mosquitoes buzzing filled (Y/N)'s ear, but she was too captivated by the current match that was about to conclude.

Oikawa and Terushima would squabble around from time to time, but other than that, the whole team was fairly harmonized. They were able to execute advanced plays despite only being in a team together for a few hours.

Everyone was gathered outside as they bid Itachiyama farewell. Their whole week of training camp was a success, and everyone was able to improve.

"If we ever clash at Nationals, we won't go easy on you." Ushijima simply stated to Sakusa, who was adorning his usual scowl on his face.

"The same goes for you."

_"That's one way to bid farewell..."_ (Y/N) stood in the middle of the brief, yet somewhat stiff exchange. She had just exchanged numbers with Tendou so they could discuss Jump with each other despite being kilometres/miles apart.

Boy was Semi glad to hear that Tendou had a Jump buddy. He wouldn't bother him as much now.

Looking back, (Y/N) really enjoyed the camp. Pushing aside all the advances from Oikawa and Terushima, it was actually fun and a great way for her to grasp new plays. It was just in time for the Interhigh Nationals too.

Itachiyama was ready to tackle whatever was coming.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Matsushima yelped as Yoneda pulled on his ears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"How dare you steal my onigiri! It was my last onigiri!"

"I'm sorry! I'll buy you some when we get back to Tokyo!"

"That was an onigiri made by Chiharu-chan! Nothing will be able to replace it!"

"You had that for a week in your bag? Talk about disgusting. I can't believe I ate it-"

Yoneda pulled on his eye harder, earning a shrill yelp from Matsushima. "Say that again!?"

(Y/N) nervously laughed at the commotion, she would first need to deal with those two before moving onto anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa sorry Terushima and Oikawa stans. it's for the sake of Sakusa  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	21. feeling alive

"Why did I agree to go again?"

(Y/N) was dragging the boy's of the Itachiyama's volleyball club to the beach as their summer break progressed. Everyone liked the idea except the expected Sakusa, who declined the invitation until he heard she was going to bring everyone else whether he went or not. Now here he was, trudging on the sidewalk that lined the beach.

Everyone attended except Iizuna, who couldn't attend because he had to deal with family businesses.

"Don't you think you're slathering too much sunscreen on yourself?" (Y/N) peered curiously at Sakusa, who was practically enveloped in a thick layer of sunscreen. Every 30 minutes, he would apply another layer after another layer. (Y/N) couldn't help but be concerned for his well-being. Was putting on that much sunscreen even HEALTHY?

"This isn't much," Sakusa says and smeared another layer of sunscreen on his arms. At this point, he looked as white as snow with all the sunscreen.

The sign read "Onjuku Beach" as they arrived upon finding a spot away from the crowd, something Sakusa demanded. Everyone casually walked onto the sand while Sakusa hesitantly stood a foot away from touching the "germy" substance.

He stared at it for a good minute before letting out a deep sigh. All he could think about were the germs in the sand and how disgusting it was. His fingers tingled as thoughts ran through his mind.

"Come on, Kiyo!" (Y/N) noticed his reluctance and gently grabbed his hand. She could feel him slightly jump at the contact as Sakusa widened his eye.

He relaxed once he saw that it was just (Y/N). "It will be fine! You need to relax once in a while, or you'll get sick."

_"Sick?"_ Sakusa brooded as (Y/N) dragged him to where the group was setting up. _"Just this once..."_

**• • •**

Upon arriving at their location, Matsushima and Yoneda were seen setting up the volleyball net, and Komori was cracking open a can of melon soda.

"Save some for me!" Matsushima whined and pulled the last knot tightly before running over to the cooler.

"Hey! Don't just run off like that!" Yoneda yelled after him as he struggled to tie the net up without Matsushima.

Sakusa grimaced at the sight and reluctantly sat down on a beach chair. He watched as Matsushima dug through the cooler for a can of melon soda.

"Aren't you sweating with that mask on?" (Y/N) inquired Sakusa.

"No, I'm fine," Sakusa replied, but (Y/N) could see the bead of sweat on his forehead that dripped down his chin.

"You need something to cool you down." (Y/N) threw him a bottle of iced green tea, which he effortlessly caught.

Sakusa inspected the bottle for a few seconds before taking off his mask and taking a tiny sip. His eyes lit up once his tongue came in contact with the icy goodness. The chilled bottle was a godsend to the hot weather. Crisp, clean, and refreshing, not too bitter or astringent, and definitely not too sweet. He liked it.

(Y/N) caught the rare sight of Sakusa's face lighting up. Although he didn't smile, the sight made her feel all fuzzy and warm (or maybe she was having a heat stroke, who knows). It made her smile like a fool.

"Hey! Let's start a game!" Matsushima bounced up and down as he threw the volleyball in the air. He was having a sugar rush from chugging down a can of melon soda and couldn't contain himself anymore.

"That doesn't sound so bad, count me in!" Yoneda grinned.

"Me too!" Komori waved both of his hands.

All that was left was for Sakusa to agree but by the look on his face, it didn't seem like he was going to be easily swayed.

(Y/N) placed her hand on her chin and brainstormed ways to convince Sakusa. Finally, an idea popped into her mind. _"Aha!"_

She knew that Sakusa was always caught up on practicing and getting better, so why not use beach volleyball as a way to practice? By playing volleyball in the sand, players are forced to work their legs twice as hard as they would have to on the hard floor. They would also have to learn to balance and receive twice as hard since the sand wasn't solid.

After explaining this to Sakusa, he thought hard and long before getting up from his seat and onto the sand, much to his displeasure. Komori watched in amazement as Sakusa took his position on the sand and gave (Y/N) a thumbs up.

"(L/NNNN)! You should join us!" Matsushima whined out.

"J-Join you guys? I would just hold you guys back..." She nervously waved her hands and laughed.

"Nonsense! It'll be fun!"

"If you guys don't mind, then sure..."

"Of course, we don't mind! Right?" Matsushima looked around as Komori and Yoneda profusely nodded. Sakusa remained silent and shrugged.

(Y/N) ended up on Matsushima and Sakusa's team while going up against Komori and Yoneda. "Bring it onnn!"

As time passed, a crowd began to form around them. They were intrigued by the skill level of the players and found it entertaining to watch.

"These youngsters are amazing!"

"Do you think they might play for the V.Leagues?"

"Possibly Division 2 or 3."

Just as they said that Yoneda spiked off Sakusa's block, making the ball fly towards the backline. Matsushima was determined to win and ran after the ball, but when he dived for it, he slipped on the sand and dived face-first into the sand. The ball dropped right onto the line as Matsushima was still lying there.

Yoneda broke into hysterical laughter while Matsushima slowly got up with his face covered in sand. Everyone looked concerned for the latter except Yoneda, who laughed so hard that he fell onto his knees and starting smacking the sand. (Y/N) quickly rushed to Matsushima's side and handed him a bottle of water.

After washing off the sand, Matsushima quickly turned his glare to Yoneda, who to some extent, controlled his laughter. "Why you little-"

Matsushima ran after Yoneda, and with Iizuna not there to stop them, they ended up chasing each other for hours. Komori had tried to step in, but he risked getting trampled by the two and decided to let them go at it.

They stopped once Matsushima heard the music of the ice cream truck stop by the beach. His ears perked, and he halted. "Ice cream!"

**• • •**

The sound of waves hitting the shore filled the air as the sun slowly dipped into the horizon. The sky consisted of an assortment of shades, a blend of reds, oranges and yellows. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Matsushima, Yoneda, and Komori had left to get some ice cream, leaving Sakusa and (Y/N) alone together. They sat together in silence as (Y/N) stared into the horizon of the waves.

Peace. Serenity. Contentment. That was all she could feel. The waves were tinted vermilion, with underlying streaks of blue that clashed with it.

"Remember the promise I made back then?" (Y/N) abruptly asked, breaking Sakusa out of his trance.

"Which promise? You made a lot..."

"The one where I promised to come back!" She let out a soft laugh and smiled.

"Oh, that one..." Sakusa spared a glance at (Y/N), taking in her features before whipping his head back around when she turned to face him.

"How long has it been since we last saw a sunset together?"

"Six years and seven months," Sakusa nonchalantly told her.

(Y/N) leaned away from her seat and looked at him in astonishment. "You kept track?"

Sakusa realized what he said and turned away, his face feeling warmer than usual. Must've been the summer heat. "Yeah..."

"That's impressive, Kiyo!"

"It's really nothing..." He cleared his throat before looking at (Y/N).

"So, how did you like today?" (Y/N) beamed.

"It was dirty, disgusting, and hot." His response earned a frown from (Y/N). She was sure he was enjoying himself-

"But... It was fun."

They both turned to face each other only to lock eyes. Sakusa could see the waves reflecting off of her pupils as he nervously gulped. His skin felt tingly, and his mouth felt dry, why couldn't he say anything? There were butterflies - no, lions - in his chest, but it felt good.

This moment was interrupted by a scream behind them, which made them both jump.

They looked behind to see Matsushima, Yoneda, and Komori back with their ice cream. Matsushima's face was filled with horror. They realized he was holding an empty cone and looked at the ground where a scoop of ice cream laid.

He shrieked again. "My ice cream!"

He earned a hard slap on the head from Yoneda, which made him dropped his cone.

"You just ruined the moment!" Yoneda scolded. "If you had just stayed silent-"

"How long were you all there for?" Sakusa hissed. There was no mistaking the venom in his voice.

Matsushima yelped from his glare and leapt into Yoneda's arm, who was paralyzed in fear. Komori was the only one who wasn't getting scared or intimidated by Sakusa and instead laughed.

"Don't worry. We just came back! We heard nothing!"

Suddenly, (Y/N) burst into loud laughter, making everyone look at her in confusion. "Thanks for everything, guys! I really enjoy being your manager!"

"What's with that all of the sud-"

Sakusa was interrupted by Matsushima, who looked at her with tear-filled eyes and dashed towards her. "(L/N), we love yo-"

He was stopped mid-air before he could pounce on (Y/N) when Yoneda pulled him back by his collar. "You are not going to tackle her into a hug."

"But why?"

"Because last time you did that, the person ended up with a large and nasty bruise on the knee."

"That was you," Matsushima cheekily grinned.

"And I'm never forgiving you for it! Imagine what Chiharu-chan would've thought if she saw it!" Yoneda grabbed a nearby empty bottle and resumed their wild goose chase.

Oh, how (Y/N) enjoyed being the Itachiyama boy's volleyball club manager. She couldn't wait to see what was in store for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i've decided that Yoneda is that drunk vodka aunt at family reunion parties  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	22. special - turtle? tortoise?

**_8-9 years before the current setting_ **

The summer sun beat upon their back relentlessly, forcing beads of sweat down their forehead as they chased each other. On that sultry day in mid-August, white heaven-bound birds were as brilliant rays from wind-dappled sea-water. Their brightness amid otherwise infinite blue, gliding as free souls.

"Give it back!" A young boy chased after another young girl through the tall, unkempt grass.

"Not until you catch me, Kiyo!" She waved the hand sanitizer in the air as she looked back and stuck out her tongue. Sakusa huffed out in annoyance but proceeded to chase her around the field.

One moment (Y/N) was rushing forward, eyes on the track ahead and face showing her girlish exuberance. The next, she's flying in a superman pose, yet her expression is one of shock and horror.

"Oww... What did I just trip over? It didn't feel like a rock..."

She rolled over and hugged her knees. Sakusa walked over and snatched the hand sanitizer off the ground before walking over to (Y/N) and tagging her. "Got you. Are you okay?"

"I think I'm dying," deadpanned (Y/N).

"You're dying?" Sakusa asked concerningly and raised his eyebrows. "I'll get your mom-"

"No, it's just an expression." (Y/N) jumped back onto her feet and brushed the dirt off her clothes. "See, I'm not actually dying, so you don't need to get my mom."

"Oh..."

"Now, to find out what I tripped on, cause it definitely didn't feel like a rock." (Y/N) ambled towards the dome-like object to see a tiny head poking out the large dome.

"A turtle! Look, Kiyo! It's a giant turtle!"

Sakusa recoiled in horror from the animal and scowled. "Ew, get that thing away from me. It's dirty."

"What do you mean? We need to save it! We need to get it back into the water!" (Y/N) gently hoisted the heavy turtle into her arms. "Woah! It's as big as my face!"

She stumbled around as she tried to support the weight of the turtle on her arms. It was undoubtedly hard for an adult to carry, much less a child.

She sucked in her stomach and lifted it with all her might, successfully balancing it after awhile. "L-Let's go find a pond, quickly!"

Sakusa remained stoic on the outside, but inside, he was outright shocked at (Y/N)'s strength. He watched as the young girl finally made it onto the sidewalk and began trudging down the path. The turtle was as big as her head, maybe even bigger. Imagine getting slapped by her. That wouldn't end well...

"Come on, Kiyo! At least help me find a pond!"

"Fine."

**• • •**

They walked around for a while as the summer heat got the better of them. In this heat, even the trees appear defeated. Leaves that should be firm and upward tilting; were drooped and flaccid as old lettuce. But (Y/N) was determined to find a pond for the turtle.

"Oh my, what do we have here?" A relatively old lady with a cane approached them. "That's quite a big turtle you have, what are you planning to do with it?"

(Y/N) beamed. "We're bringing it back to the pond!"

"That's very nice dear, but isn't it quite heavy for a young girl like you?" Suddenly, she turned to glare at Sakusa and raised her cane at him. "And you, a young boy like you should be helping a lady carry her things, what kind of gentlemen are you?"

Sakusa nervously staggered back, not knowing what to say. The old lady slightly jabbed her cane in his direction, making him stumble back and trip, falling onto his bottom. Luckily, (Y/N) stepped in before anything could happen any further.

"Hey! Don't yell at Kiyo!" She huffed out and stepped in between the lady and Sakusa. "Kiyo doesn't need to help me! Girls can carry things too!"

The old woman clicked her tongue in disapproval and muttered, "kids these days, don't know how to respect their elders." She walked away without another glance, leaving the children alone.

"Are you okay?" (Y/N) looked at Sakusa, who was still in a state of shock. "Sorry, I don't think I can help you get up with the turtle in my arms right now..."

Sakusa snapped out of his trance and looked at his surrounding. His eyes widened once he realized that he was on the ground with all the germs.

He quickly jumped up and patted himself down, good thing he had his hand sanitizer on him or that would've been the death of him.

After a short walk around the neighbourhood, they finally stumbled upon a small pond, just big enough for tiny fishes to inhabit. Without hesitation, (Y/N) flung the turtle into the water, creating a big splash.

"Phew, my arms feel so sore." (Y/N) looked at pond only to raise her eyebrows when she sees the turtle floating on its back. "Kiyo, why is it not swimming?"

Sakusa furrowed his brows and took a closer look at the creature. "I don't think that was a turtle..."

"What do you mean?"

"That was pretty big for a turtle." He kept his gaze on the floating turtle.

"Yeah... Wait a minute..."

"It was a tortoise."

(Y/N)'s eyes widened, and panic flashed through her body. "They can't swim! Why didn't you tell me earlier, Kiyo?!"

"I thought you were just going to leave it beside the pond, not throw it in." Sakusa nonchalantly answered.

"We need to save it!"

(Y/N) got down onto her knee and tried reaching for the tortoise. She edged closer and closer to the tortoise, trying carefully not to fall in.

Unluckily for her, it had rained the day before, which made the ground soft and unstable. Just as she was about to reach the creature, her hand slipped, and she fell into the water with a giant splash.

Sakusa froze as (Y/N) disappeared from his sight and into the water. Panic overtook him. He wasn't prepared for that to happen. It made him feel horrible, just horrible.

A loud gasp of air could be heard as Sakusa jerked his head back to the pond to see (Y/N) with her head barely above the water and the tortoise in her other hand. Despite its small appearance, the pond was actually much deeper than it looked, (Y/N) couldn't even touch the bottom.

Trying his best to keep his composure, Sakusa looked around for something to help, anything. He spotted a long, thick branch that had fallen off a decaying tree. It was better than nothing. Quickly, he grabbed the branch and extended it to (Y/N), who grabbed it. With all his might, he pulled as hard as his small body could pull.

As a few seconds passed, Sakusa managed to save (Y/N) by pulling her out of the water. (Y/N) coughed out the remaining water in her lungs as her clothes dripped water onto the grass.

"Well, at least I'm not sweating anymore!" She let out a short laugh as she twisted the water out her shirt. Sakusa looked at her in disbelief at how she could laugh after barely escaping death.

"My mom's going to be so mad at me." (Y/N) sighed and gave Sakusa a mischievous grin. Before Sakusa could ask why she was grinning like that, a flicker of water touched his face. (Y/N) had just flicked water at him.

All the germs on his face, what was he going to do? After all the events that happened that day, Sakusa couldn't take it anymore, and tears started to well up in his eyes. (Y/N) noticed this and immediately felt guilty. He wasn't the one to cry easily, so she knew she had crossed the line.

"Ah! I'm sorry for doing that, Kiyo..."

"(Y/N)! Kiyoomi-kun! Thank goodness you guys are safe!" Sakusa wiped the tear that fell down his cheek and turned to face the voice that called them.

(Y/N)'s parents came rushing to their side. "Are you guys okay? You disappeared at your usual location. I thought someone kidnapped you! Good thing that nice old lady told us about you guys or we would've never found you! Don't ever run off again!"

"Damn that old hag. She ratted us out." (Y/N) frowned.

"(Y/N)." Her mom sternly says.

"Sorry..."

"Why are you soaking wet? And why is Kiyoomi-kun crying?" (Y/N)'s mom pursed her lips before letting out a heavy sigh. "What am I going to do with you... We'll discuss this back home."

She hoisted (Y/N) into her arms while (Y/N)'s dad carried Sakusa, who finally stopped sprouting tears. They slowly walked back home as the day came to an end. (Y/N) excitedly told her mom about her day, including the turtle incident while walking back.

"And then I fell into the pond with a big splash! I thought I was going to drown, but then Kiyo saved me!"

"Is that so, we're going to have to thank him properly later." (Y/N)'s mom gently smiled at her.

"Okaa-san, is Kiyo sleeping over tonight?"

"Yes he is, his mother called and told us that she would be working late tonight, so he'll be staying over."

"Another sleepover! Yay!" (Y/N) threw her arms up in excitement.

"But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Your dad and I are going to discuss your consequences for running off without telling us."

(Y/N) crossed her arms and pouted. She didn't like that she was getting punished for saving a tortoise.

**• • •**

**_Present time_ **

Matsushima wheezed and clutched his stomach. "Hahaha! Sakusa cried because (L/N) flickered water at him!"

"That's young Sakusa for you!" Komori chuckled.

(Y/N) had finished telling the team about one of her childhood stories with Sakusa. She too, was laughing at the memory despite having it play over and over again in her head.

"Did you really have to tell them that?" Sakusa grumbled out and sulked. He didn't enjoy the story as much.

"I told them you were a hero!" (Y/N) retaliated with a giggle.

"You didn't have to tell them about the crying part." Sakusa walked away without another word, clearly not happy that (Y/N) had told them about his crying. He was never going to hear the end of it.

"Someone's not happy," Komori stated.

(Y/N) ran her fingers through her hair before letting out a short sigh. "I should apologize to him."

"Alright then! We should return to practice."

"Right, right!" Matushima agreed.

(Y/N) approached Sakusa, who was outside taking a breather while lost in the clouds. Today, the clouds were white marble on blue satin, dove grey underneath and brilliant white where they are thin enough to let the light through.

"I'm sorry for telling them. I'll make sure they never speak of it." (Y/N) leaned against the wall and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

"It's fine. They wouldn't dare do that." Sakusa continued to look at the bright blue sky that was adorned with cotton-like clouds.

"Is that so?" (Y/N) cheekily asked.

Sakusa took one last deep breath of the air before walking back into the gym. "Practice time."

(Y/N) smiled and watched Sakusa walk inside as the memory ran through her head again. How could this memory ever get boring?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this chapter, (Y/N) and Sakusa were around 7 or 8 years old  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	23. ground zero

It was a humid day in early-August, and the sea of Japan was as flat as any mirror. The sea, perfectly calm, was like a peaceful lake, and its soft murmurs were scarcely audible. The waves seemed to sleep. A line of darker blue marked the curve of the horizon.

"You're going to fall out the window if you keep sticking your head out," Sakusa stated, keeping his eyes on his book. He didn't even bat an eyelash when he called (Y/N) out.

"And don't encourage her, Matsushima!" Yoneda snapped at Matsushima, who joined (Y/N) as she stuck her head out the window like a dog.

"Boo, you're such a buzzkill, Kou-kun!" Yoneda rolled his eyes at Matsushima's remark and continued to look out the window silently.

It was six o'clock in the morning when the team arrived in the city of Himi for the Interhigh Nationals. In the early mornings of August, Himi's weather was not a joke. It was at least 28 °C, and it was just the beginning of the day. Imagine the temperature in the afternoon.

"We're here!" Iizuna announced as they pulled up to a sumptuous and enormous building.

The floor was tiled in first-class marble, which made every step echo. A chandelier made rainbow colours dance across the luxurious lobby.

Embroidered silk sofas surrounded a large, flat-screen television. The twin doors that led into the lobby were a pristine white with golden handles. The desk was made of amber-coloured wood and a green granite top.

Exquisite paintings hung from the luxurious, red walls. Even the door hinges were engraved with swirls and elegant designs. The domed ceiling rose at least 100 feet high.

(Y/N) gaped at the splendid spectacle. "We're staying here?! Holy crap..."

"It's just a hotel," Sakusa muttered under his mask. He was glad it wasn't a dirty, rundown inn, a prestigious hotel might be better in terms of cleanliness than an obscure one.

Iizuna clasped his hands together, making a loud clap sounds as everyone turned their attention to him. "Okay! After dropping off your stuff in your room, let's all meet here by 6:30 for breakfast and then head to the arena!"

"And if you're finished early, try not to make a ruckus." He turned his gaze at Matsushima and Yoneda but remained his gaze on Matsushima.

"Right..."

Everyone got their keycard to their room and began to get ready for the day. (Y/N) looked at the small paper in her hand, which had room number 404. So she was on the fourth floor, not bad, but she wanted to go a bit higher for the view.

She walked into the elevator where Sakusa just so happened to be too. "Hey, Kiyo, what room are you in?"

Sakusa fished his card out of his pocket and scanned the writing imprinted on it. "Room 405."

"Oh, so our rooms are next to each other!"

"Yeah, I guess so..."

**• • •**

"What the heck, they have an all-you-can-eat buffet?!" Matushima loomed over the buffet bar filled with every breakfast item you could imagine. "That's amazing!"

"Don't eat yourself to death," Yoneda warned. He nervously eyed Matsushima, knowing that the kid didn't have any self-control at all. "Or eat until you're too full, you're going to get cramps while you play."

After breakfast, the team still had 30 minutes until they had to be at the arena and decided to start a little warm-up at the nearby gymnasium.

(Y/N) watched the balls fly over the net as the boys practiced their serve. Was it just her, or was the air feeling thicker than usual? She's been having a hard time properly breathing, and her hands felt clammy.

She looked at the rest of the team. They seemed to be faring well despite the tension in the air. It was probably just her being nervous, I mean, it was her first national tournament that she was attending. Who wouldn't be nervous? People from all over Japan are gathered at a single location, talk about the pressure.

"All right, let's start heading to the arena now. It's going to be a 10-minute ride there." Iizuna began collecting the balls back into their respective bags.

They started heading out once the whole gym was cleaned up. It was the beginning of their big moment. Boy, it felt like (Y/N)'s nerves were eating her alive.

Their bus pulled up in front of the Himi City Fureai Sports Centre where many people were seen gathered. Many vehicles lined the sidewalk and people walking towards the arena. The building was relatively big, maybe big enough to hold about 5,000 people or more? Though, it wasn't as big as Yoyogi or Tokyo's Metropolitan Gym.

"Holy smokes!" (Y/N)'s eyes glimmered in excitement. "There's a crap ton of people here!"

"You've been saying 'crap' a lot today, (Y/N)." Komori lets out a short laugh.

"I mean, it's just so cool being here! How do you manage not being amazed by this?"

"Of course, I'm amazed!" Komori gazed at the building. "I mean, we did manage to represent Tokyo for Nationals. I'm still not used to it..."

"More practice means better outcome," Sakusa interjected, making (Y/N) and Komori look at him. "It's simple. If you're prepared and practice more, you do better, so don't act all surprised."

"W-Was that a compliment I heard?" (Y/N)'s eyes widened at the rare words.

"I'm not going to answer that so you can take it as you like."

"Aww, Sakusa can't admit he just complimented his team!" Matsushima says as he popped up behind Komori and placed his arm on Komori's shoulder. "C'mon, just admit it! You love us!"

"Tch. I don't love you, that's gross."

"Yes you do~~"

"No."

"Yes~"

"No."

"Ye-"

"Oi, we have no time for chit-chat! The opening ceremony is going to start if we don't hurry!" Yoneda cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered.

**• • •**

(Y/N) scanned her surroundings as she entered the room where all the teams from across Japan waited for the opening ceremony to start. It was extremely crowded since both boys and girls were crammed in. Finally, she spotted Komori at the other end of the room and quickly walked over to him.

"Do you know where Kiyo is? I can't seem to find him..."

"I think he might be hiding in the washroom," Komori slightly chuckled. "You know how he is with crowds and germs."

"That's true. I should find him before the ceremony starts." (Y/N) exasperatedly sighed and walked to where the boy's washrooms were located. There she found Sakusa, who was facing the wall with his head hanging low.

"Kiyo, the ceremony is about to start! You should go back," she cheerfully informed him.

Sakusa muttered out a small "thanks" before walking past (Y/N). How, he hated this part, the crowds, the germs. It just makes his body tingle in disgust.

"Thank you for waiting! We will now be starting the opening ceremony for the National High School Volleyball Tournament, otherwise known as Interhigh."

(Y/N) looked up at the speaker attached to the wall, she should be going back to the main arena before the ceremony started. She could feel her heart beating out of her chest in anticipation.

"The championship flags are now entering."

She made it just in time and peered over a spectator's shoulder as the teams started marching in with the flags.

"And the 56 representative schools from across Japan are now entering as well."

_"Stay calm (Y/N). Stay calm."_ She watched the teams lined up on the court, waiting for Tokyo to appear.

"Tokyo's first representative, boys, Itachiyama Academy."

Her eyes lit up when they announced her team. She stifled a laugh when she spotted Sakusa marching so solemnly with his shoulder tensed up. Cheers from the crowd erupted as the team took their place in the arena.

_"Remember to breathe."_

She clenched her fists tightly until her nails dug into the palm of her hand, but she barely noticed. The only thing she is aware of is the sound of her heart throbbing against the cage of her chest.

(Y/N) was proud of the boys for making it so far. Being the best out of 180+ schools in the prefecture was an accomplishment.

Every sweat, every tear, every movement, it was essential to their development. And there they were, standing on the stage of Nationals. It was the second-years second (or third) time being there, but despite that, they weren't showing any sign of hesitation or doubt in their abilities. Of course, they shouldn't be. They deserved their spot.

(Y/N) on the other hand, her body felt antsy knowing that the battle had already begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not ready for haikyuu to end  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	24. destiny and fate

These volleyball matches were equal parts of pure excitement and pure fear. But we prepared, we trained hard, and that's what tipped the balance in our favour, and our sense of adventure wins out.

With the cheers come fists in the air, and eyes flung wide. We were electrified, awake, soaring to new heights of emotion.

(Y/N) looked the pass around her neck, she had to be careful with it. Without the pass, she wouldn't be able to enter the arena. That would be bad. Her focus was scattered, so filled with nervous anticipation.

"Are you okay?" Sakusa stepped beside her and scanned the crowd, mainly keeping his eyes on the matches currently happening. Their match was going to begin shortly as the matches before were starting to wrap up.

(Y/N)'s giggle softened the room, "yeah, just pregame nervousness. That's all."

"You don't need to be nervous."

She tilted her head at Sakusa and gave him a soft smile. "Is that so?"

As Sakusa opened his mouth to say something, Yoneda cuts in to inform them that the game before theirs has ended, and they were allowed to start warm-ups.

"The game before ours is ending soon! We can start warming up!"

Sakusa went ahead of (Y/N) since she wanted to go to the washroom first.

"Be back soon," Sakusa told her as he walked past her.

The cold water moved softly around her outstretched fingers, caressing cooly, eddying in their wake. She pulled her hand out and watched the drips, both transparent and opaque at the same time. She quickly took out her (F/C) handkerchief and wiped off the excess water. (Y/N) was more than ready to face whatever may come.

**• • •**

Itachiyama's first opponent was Byouoka Chuuou High School from the Tottori prefecture.

(Y/N) had done some research on them the day before, and what she found out was surprising. Known for their lax playstyle, almost like Johzenji but x5 better. Most of their players on the team were shorter than average but can jump extremely high, making them a very formidable opponent. Despite that, they slack off most of the time and fool around instead.

Camera crews were set up around the court, focusing intently on the match between Itachiyama and Byouoka Chuuou. Iizuna was busy being interviewed by a local news reporter while the rest of the team was engaged in their warm-up.

Sakusa grimaced at the bunch. It was those who were careless that he disdained. They were reckless enough to let their serves be served into the net and make a fool out of themselves.

Matsushima, however, became best buds with the captain of Byouoka Chuuou High. Actually, it was no surprise. Both were carefree and goofed around a lot. No wonder they bonded so well.

Their first against them was pretty easy for the boys of Itachiyama. After practicing many times against Johzenji, they were used to the unpredictableness of Byouoka Chuuou.

All they needed to do was counter as much as they can even without knowing the opponent's next move.

The first set went to Itachiyama with a score of 25 to 16. The second set, Byouoka Chuuou smartened up and started making their serves over.

They were able to use their jumping skills to score some points off of Itachiyama by spiking the ball over the block. At last, Itachiyama still had better defence and offence than Byouoka Chuuou and ultimately won, 25 to 18.

"So, does that mean we qualify for the final rounds?" (Y/N) asked as she grabbed her stuff and walked off the court with Sakusa and Komori. Their first and only match of the day was a success, and they were able to qualify for round 2.

"Yeeep!" Komori exclaimed as he bought a drink from the vending machine. "I guess we'll just watch the rest of the matches playout for the rest of the day. I'm going to sleep. See you guys later!"

(Y/N)'s eyes sparkled in excitement when they passed by the clothing stand and tugged on Sakusa's sleeves. Sakusa glanced at (Y/N) to see her face glowing while pointing at the stand.

"Those T-shirts, they're so cute! I want one!"

"You want those?" Sakusa squinted his eyes at the T-shirts on display, they weren't particularly ugly, but it was an atrocious object to him. Why would anyone want to buy that abomination? That would be a waste of money.

All of a sudden, a voice that (Y/N) recognized called out to her. "(Y/N)!"

She turned her head to the side to see a distinctive and familiar redhead waving and walking towards her.

"Satori!"

"Heyyy!" Tendou threw his hands up in an enthusiastic manner. "Did you read this week's Jump?"

"No, not yet, I've been busy with club paperwork and school." (Y/N) heavily sighed. "Did you already buy it?"

"Of course I di-"

"When were you two so close that you're on first name bases?" Sakusa butted in, keeping his scowl on Tendou. Tendou noticed his glare but shrugged it off and continued to carry a cheerful look on his face.

"Oh, well ever since training camp, we kept in touch to discuss Jump and just decided to call each other by our first names!" (Y/N) happily answered for Tendou. "On the topic of training camp, is Ushijima-san with you?"

Tendou jabbed his thumb in the direction of the courtside. "Wakatoshi-kun is over there watching the matches as usual."

Without a second thought, Sakusa strolled towards where Tendou said Ushijima was.

"Where are you going, Kiyo?" (Y/N) questioned.

"I'll be back," he nonchalantly answered without a glance back. His mind was set on speaking with Ushijima.

"Huh." (Y/N) spun on her heel to face the store again. "Anyways, I wanted to buy a T-shirt here, but I can't seem to decide on which one. Mind helping me, Satori?"

"Sure! I wanted to buy one as well."

Sakusa followed where Tendou pointed at and found Ushijima spectating the ongoing matches by the courtside. The latter was wearing his usual stoic expression and had occasional onlookers that passed by gawk at him. He didn't notice Sakusa's presence until Sakusa called out his name.

"Wakatoshi-kun."

Ushijima spared a glance before returning his gaze on the ongoing matches. "Ah, Sakusa."

Sakusa joined his side and began observing the matches with him. He stuffed his hands into his pocket and remained silent.

"I presume you won your match?" Ushijima broke the ice by asking Sakusa a question.

"Of course, I'm also assuming you won your match."

"Yeah."

The silence was ordinary to them, for in that void of sound the shallowness of their short conversation was laid bare. It lingered in the air, thick and heavy, like a blanket. The sound of balls bouncing, cheers, and chatter resonated in the gymnasium, filling their ear canal with the sound they enjoy. Their passion for volleyball.

"Wakatoshi-kun, how did you get so good?" Sakusa asked out of the blue.

"...By practicing a lot."

"Psst! Look! It's Ushiwaka and Sakusa." A passerby murmured to his friend.

"Wow, their presence is intense!"

"Besides that." Sakusa glanced to the side to look at Ushijima while waiting for an answer. Ushijima looked at the ceiling then at the ground, ruminating on his response.

"Because I got lucky."

"Luck..." Sakusa knew what luck was, was that really how Ushijima got so good? With luck? Was he considered lucky by being blessed with such a flexible wrist to play volleyball? Lucky, to be able to play volleyball and have a good physique? Maybe not the last part, he had to train and practice hard to have that.

Now that he thought about it, was (Y/N) being in his life lucky? To have someone always by his side for most of his childhood. It felt lucky to have someone around and be his friend.

There are times bad luck came, and then you wait to see what the universe and you can make of it, how you can make something good come of something so very awful. Sakusa wasn't the person to have many friends, and his parents were always working. His older sibling wasn't around much either. Most of the time, he was alone.

At first, he thought meeting (Y/N) was awful. A stroke of bad luck. His parents forced him to be around someone he considered 'dirty,' and he didn't like it one bit. He thought that his bad luck was just piling up by having her around.

As time passed, he realized that (Y/N) wasn't that bad. She wasn't as clean like him, but she maintained her hygiene. She was fun to be around, especially since he didn't have many friends. She was there for him when something awful happens. (Y/N) was bad luck turned into good luck.

But was his luck just a coincidence?

"Kiyoooo!" (Y/N) yelled out causing both aces to turn around and face her. She marched up to them, flaunting the new T-shirt that she bought.

"Whaddya think?"

Her T-shirt was (F/C) with Vabo-chan* adorned in the center of it. It was simple and quite childish if you asked him.

"Ew," Sakusa bluntly says. (Y/N)'s lower lip protruded in a sulky pout as she crossed her arms.

"You don't need to be so blunt about it. Satori helped me pick it out."

"That explains why." He gave Tendou a flinty side glance. Tendou threw his hands up, and his mouth curved into an 'O.'

"Now, now, now... Let's not be so harsh on the T-shirt."

"Ushijima-san! You were amazing out there, congratulations!" Their conversation was interrupted once a reporter spotted Ushijima and wanted an interview. Ushijima thanked the reporter for the compliment.

"Do you have a moment to answer some questions?"

"Yes."

The rest of the three watched for a few minutes as the reporter bombarded Ushijima with questions which he answered straightforwardly. The questions came endlessly, and it seemed like they were going to be there for a long time.

"I think we should go now." (Y/N) tapped on Sakusa's shoulder. "It was nice talking to you, Satori! See you around!"

Tendou enthusiastically waved back as (Y/N), and Sakusa walked away. "Until we meet again!"

On that day, at least 13 teams were eliminated from the qualifying rounds. It wasn't much, but that meant it was only going to get harder. Itachiyama was prepared and practiced hard. They didn't have to worry as much.

Now it was up to fate to choose what happened next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wheeeeeeeeee  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	25. ephemeral

The lake glistened, mirroring the dazzling assemblage of glittering stars.

The faint wind brushed against the water's surface, the ripples ruffled the stillness of the surface and shattered the reflection of the harbour.

Unaware of her heart beating or the rise and fall of her chest, she drifted into semi-consciousness. Her lips bear the semblance of a smile, just enough to show that she is enjoying her thoughts, whatever they may be.

The silence caressed her skin like a warm summer breeze, smoothing her soul, taking away her jagged edges. It had been one hell of a day.

"Oh, there you are (Y/N)!" (Y/N) turned her head back to see Komori walking through the sliding doors and towards her.

"Komori? What are you doing out here?"

"Heh, well, I'm looking for someone to talk with. Sakusa went to take a bath, and Yoneda and Matsushima are at it again. Iizuna's trying to break them apart." Komori softly snickered.

"Oh..."

The starry night above was better than any software imitation. There were lighter patches, clusters of faint and bold light, the constellations altered according to the time of year.

These were the same stars that greeted the ancients, the same ones that would be there in millions of years. Komori held his hand up to the sky as if to feel his life energy in his fingers.

"If you don't mind me asking..." (Y/N) kept her gaze on the scenery in front of them as she carefully chose the words aroused in her mind. "How did you meet, Kiyo?"

Komori thought for a moment and placed his hand on his chin. He suddenly burst out in a fit of giggles when a sudden thought occurred to him.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" (Y/N) questioned concerningly when she heard his sudden fit of laughter.

"No, no, not at all. It's just that. I'm not sure if Sakusa told you this but, we're cousins."

"Cousins?!" (Y/N) uncrossed her arms and turned to look at Komori with a bewildered expression. "He hasn't told me this at all!"

"We weren't exceptionally close though, I think of him more as a friend than a cousin." Komori nervously laughed and scratched his head.

"I always saw him around by himself. He's a quiet guy, so I would have never guessed you were his childhood friend if you hadn't told me."

"Hm, is that so." (Y/N) fixed her eyes onto a particular star that sparkled brighter than the rest across the ebony sky. "How did you guys become closer?"

"Well, one day, my parents told me to hang out with him, so I invited him to play volleyball. He followed me without a word."

"So, you were the one that got him into volleyball!"

Komori gently smiled at (Y/N). "I guess you could say that. At first, I had the impression that it was less that he wanted to play the sport, and more that he just didn't have anything else he felt like doing."

"Sounds like him." (Y/N) scoffed. "Then how'd you do it? How did you get him to stick with volleyball?"

"You know him. Once he starts something, he will always see it through the end."

The breeze turned chilly, and the wind sounded its mighty roar, making everything that surrounded it shake in fear, even the leaves fled in terror.

Even so, Komori and (Y/N) firmly remained in their spot.

"He had a knack for volleyball. With his flexible wrist, he made the ball incredibly hard to receive. It looked so natural to him."

"I have to admit, when I was little and first saw that, I thought he had broken a bone and cried for him." (Y/N)'s laugh radiated through the chilled air. "That was until he told me it didn't hurt and that his wrist does that."

Komori laughed with her before continuing his story about his past with Sakusa.

"Around middle school, we played against Ushiwaka, and that was the first time he met someone who had a more wicked spin than his. After that, he sometimes would play against Ushiwaka and would sometimes even attend the same camps."

(Y/N) could see the glimmer in Komori's eyes as he spoke about his past with Sakusa. It was like he enjoyed remembering the memories.

"Every time they were together, he looked like he was actually having fun for once."

That sentence made (Y/N) feel warm on the inside. Her smile shined like the stars in the sky, with no bright city lights to dim them. It was like the sun opened its eager light to shine about her.

"Thank you..."

Komori whipped his head around and confusedly looked at her straight in the eyes. "Huh?"

"Thank you for introducing him to volleyball." She lets her smile widen into a brilliant grin that has Komori beaming back at her.

"I've never seen him enjoy himself that much. It makes me happy to see that he's happy. I was worried that he wouldn't be able to make friends since he was so quiet and hated hanging out with others."

"It's really nothing. I just did something my parents told me to do. Speaking of which, how did you meet Sakusa?"

"How did I meet him?" (Y/N) tapped her finger on her cheek as she reminisced back to at least 12 years. "We were around 4 or 5 when we first met."

Komori intently listened as she explained with a gentle smile adorned on her face.

"Our moms were close friends from high school till now. His parents and sibling were always busy, so his mom always left him with us. He slept over often since his parents worked late."

It was quite sad to hear that Sakusa wasn't around his parents and sibling much. Komori was glad that (Y/N) was around, or Sakusa would've been alone for most of his childhood.

"I still sometimes feel bad for leaving him for six years. I'm glad he found someone like you to be around and look out for him."

Her eyes were clouded with grey, and her smile turned into a frown as she thought of the times he was by himself. But knowing that he wasn't alone made her mouth quiver in a small smile.

"The memory of our first encounter is still vivid in my mind. It was a fine spring day when our parents decided to reconcile. Of course, they brought us along. Kiyo was clutching onto his mom's hand and hiding behind her legs. I found myself quite outgoing when I was little, so I stood proudly beside my mom."

_The spring greeted the skin as butterfly wings greeted the air with gentle uplifting confidence._

_Two kids, completely the opposite of each other, stood face to face beside their mother. One was clutching onto his mother's hand and hiding behind her legs, only slightly peaking out. The other stood proudly beside her mom with a giant smile._

_"Kiyoomi," his mother softly says and bent down to his level. "This is my good friend's daughter, (Y/N)-chan."_

_"Hi, there! I'm (L/N), (Y/N)!" Her enthusiasm caused him to flinch and slink back behind his mom._

_"I'm Sakusa Kiyoomi..." He mumbled quietly but loud enough for her to hear._

_"I hope we get along well!"_

"He was such a dorky jerk." (Y/N) heaved out a sigh. "A blunt one to be exact."

"That sounds like him," Komori heartily laughed.

"It was hard to get close to him. He would always close me off, push me away, and say blunt statements. But that didn't make me give up, I was determined to be his friend."

"So, how did you end up being so close?" The wind danced through her hair as (Y/N) tucked a strand behind her ear.

"I guess I was so annoying that he gave in."

(Y/N) don't know why she found herself laughing so hard, but all of a sudden, she couldn't stop. Her breath came in quick gasps between her unstoppable giggles. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over.

_"Why are you trying so hard to be my friend?" Sakusa asked as (Y/N) played with the grass._

_"Is it bad to make new friends?" She continued to hum away and run her hands through the long strands of grass._

_"No..."_

_"Then why don't you become my friend?"_

_Sakusa was taken aback at how she could ask that so straight forward. As he was about to decline, he could see her smile genuinely for him. Her smile was the prettiest thing he had seen in a while; for it extended to your eyes and deep into your soul. It touched his heart._

_"F-Fine."_

_"Yay! We're friends now!"_

"Kiyo-"

"I heard my name."

(Y/N) screamed as loud as she could and jumped around to face Sakusa, who had appeared behind them.

"You don't need to scream. It's just me."

"You scared me! Stop scaring me!" She started playfully punching his shoulder, which he grimaced.

"I just finished taking a bath, don't spread your germs on me. Anyways, the coach wants to see you, Komori."

"Oh, does he?" Komori quickly walked past (Y/N) while slightly waving. "It was nice talking!"

As he disappeared through the sliding doors, Sakusa turned back to face (Y/N).

"What were you talking about, and why was I mentioned?"

"Don't worry. It wasn't anything bad. Just telling Komori how we met, you didn't tell me he was your cousin!" They began walking back into the hotel as time past, and it was getting late.

"It was unnecessary information."

"Speaking of which, how's your sister? I haven't seen her in a long time."

"She busy with work." Sakusa used his elbow to press the button to their floor.

"I see."

The doors slid shut, and the elevator rose to the fourth floor without stopping. The lift ground to a halt as they arrived at their destination.

"Well, get lots of rest! You're going to need it tomorrow," (Y/N) cheerfully says and pushed open her now unlocked door.

"Yeah, you too. Night." Sakusa's door to his room clicked open once he successfully swiped his card.

"Goodnight!"

Once inside her well-decorated room, she flopped down onto her bed. She stared at the sleek ceiling for a minute before jumping back up and towards the bathroom.

It was her first night in Himi for Nationals. A moment she wouldn't forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i almost deleted my work cause i clicked the wrong button ):  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	26. black beast

"It looks like our next opponent has been decided."

The referee's whistle rang out as the match (Y/N) was watching ceased to end. It was a close call for Sarukawa Tech, they just barely scraped by to win the third set against Morikawa High. It was a tough match for them.

"(Y/N). We're going back to the hotel now!" Komori called out to her before turning around to leave.

"Okay!"

**• • •**

Day 2 of Interhigh Nationals began, and Itachiyama played the third match of the day on Court B against Sarukawa Tech.

(Y/N) could feel tiredness grow inside her, slowly but deliberately draining her life. She's alive, but not really living. She hears, but she's not really listening. Everything seemed to move in a dragged pace, all submerged into a hazy fuzz that was her vision.

"Hello? (Y/N)? Are you okay?" Komori waved his hand in front of her face, making her jerk awake with a start and stare weirdly at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired..." The sight that escaped (Y/N)'s dry lips was slow, as if her brain needed that time to process what had happened.

"Just tired? You look like you hate life!" Komori amused but stopped once (Y/N) looked at him with a deadpan expression.

"I didn't get any sleep all night. I was too busy studying the game between Sarukawa Tech and Morikawa High that I lost track of time..."

"Get some sleep. You still have thirty minutes before our game starts."

(Y/N) let all her thoughts go, and as her consciousness ebbed, her mind went into free fall, swirling with the beautiful chaos of a new dream. She dozed off slumped on the chair with her head hanging low. Although the position seemed uncomfortable, (Y/N) didn't care. All she wanted was to sleep, and sleep was what she got.

"What is she doing?" Sakusa approached from behind and eyed (Y/N)'s sleeping figure.

Komori placed a finger over his lip and quickly shushed Sakusa. "Shhh, she's sleeping. Apparently, she was up all night studying our opponent."

Sakusa's sigh was resigned and weary. "The game before ours ended earlier than expected. We are expected on the court in five minutes."

He walked away, leaving Komori, who was panicking and baffled on what to do with (Y/N).

"Huh?! What do I do with (Y/N) then?" He cautiously tapped her shoulder but to no avail. He tried waking her up by calling her name, but she was out cold. As time ran out, Komori was left with no choice but to wake her up with brute force.

"(Y/N)! Please wake up!" Komori shouted into her ear, causing her to fall off her chair. Success. Her eyes were wide open as her heart pounded in her chest. It took (Y/N) a few seconds to adjust and realize where she is.

"Has it been thirty minutes already?" She asked as she picked herself up from the ground.

"Well, no. The game before ours ended ahead of schedule. We have to be on the court in 2 minutes."

"What are we loitering around for then? Let's go!" (Y/N) harshly grabbed Komori and her bag and dragged them away from stands, and to their designated court.

**• • •**

"Looks like they finally decided to show up," Yoneda scoffed as he watched Komori get dragged by (Y/N) onto the court.

"You're two minutes late." Sakusa walked up to the duo and handed Komori a ball.

"The fact that you even kept track..." (Y/N) crossed her arms and grumbled. "I'll be off now then. If you need me, I'll be at the benches."

"Okay."

The match between Itachiyama and Sarukawa Tech began, and the boys were more than confident in their skills since (Y/N) helped them out with some useful information.

_"From what I studied last night-"_

_"Why are we whispering?" Matsushima loudly whispered but was stopped short when Yoneda slapped his back._

_"Shush! She's trying to tell us some useful information."_

_"As I was saying," she continued while ignoring the commotion between Matsushima and Yoneda. "It looks like Sarukawa Tech is strong in defence and favours a playstyle of pressuring their opponents."_

_"We won't get pressured by them!" Matsushima balled up his fist and crookedly smiled, earning another hard chop in the stomach from Yoneda._

_"It also looks like they target the setter most of the time, so be careful out there!"_

_Matsushima's shout was muffled by a cloth around his mouth as the team did their usual cheer._

As the team progressed, Itachiyama was able to combat their strong defence that resembled Nekoma in a sense. Even if they aimed for Iizuna, the team was able to support the rest since everyone practiced setting at least once before. Good thing they attended that training camp, it polished their skills.

Though, (Y/N) noticed something off with Sarukawa Tech. It didn't look like they were trying to score a point and mostly stayed on defence against Itachiyama. When she watched the match between Morikawa High and Sarukawa Tech, they were balancing the two, playing offence and defence at the same time.

So what was happening right now? There was a 7 point difference with Itachiyama leading, shouldn't they be trying to catch up?

With Sarukawa Tech not trying to catch up, Itachiyama won the first set and shortly began the second.

That was when something clicked in her head. She looked at the boys as they chugged down their water. They seemed more tired than usual but not super tired that they wouldn't be able to play. So that's what they were planning, to exhaust Itachiyama with the first set and then reclaim the second and third set. A sneaky tactic.

As the second set began, (Y/N) observed Sarukawa Tech as they slowly went from their defensive stance to an offensive one. Their setter started performing quick sets, and their unconventional strategy of targeting the setter began settling in.

"Umph!" Matsushima ran in front of Iizuna to receive the ball. They needed their setter if they wanted to win. He wasn't going to let Sarukawa Tech's tactic work. Not on his watch.

Iizuna sprinted to the front so he could set the final ball to Yoneda. It was the last blow they needed to win the whole match as Yoneda spiked through the block and onto the opposition's court.

2:0 / 25-17, 25-20

Game, set, match. Itachiyama proceeded to round 3.

(Y/N) pumped her fist and let out a breath of relief. Komori placed his hands on his head as he tried to catch his breath. The match was exasperating.

To Komori, it felt like a relief that it was finally over. Sakusa was generously sweating but showed no sign of exhaustion, just disgust at the sweat.

But this was just day two. Day three was going to be the day of hell. Two matches in one day and they were the most important ones. You would play the third round and, if you made it through that, the quarter-finals.

"You guys did amazing!" (Y/N) exclaimed and tightened her clutch around her clipboard.

"Heh, thanks (Y/N)..." Komori scratched his cheeks before his stomach grumbled loudly. "Though, that match made me really hungry!"

"We have some bentos prepared back where we left our stuff!"

"Great!"

Komori walked quickly to where their stuff was as (Y/N) leisurely trailed from behind. Sakusa shortly joined her side after putting away his contaminated towel.

"Why is Komori walking like that?" Sakusa raised an eyebrow at the sight of Komori walking quickly like a robot. His movements were choppy but quick as he took long strides.

"Maybe he can't contain his excitement for the bentos?" (Y/N) giggled, paying no notice to what was in front of her as she continued a conversation with Sakusa.

While not noticing her surroundings, (Y/N) accidentally bumped elbows with someone who was holding coffee, making it spill all over.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" She bent down to where the coffee spill was. Luckily, she had a few napkins in her pocket she could use to soak up the spill.

Sakusa observed from above and scowled at the sight of the spill. There were two things he hated the most: people who are unprepared and careless.

But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to hate (Y/N). The thought never occurred to him, and he couldn't bear to think about it.

She was probably the most absent-minded person he had ever met, always running into problems and not paying proper attention to her surroundings. As much as he hated those things, all he could think about was how to protect her from situations caused by carelessness.

"That's alright! Good thing it was iced coffee, or this would've turned out worse!" A young lady laughed out as (Y/N) handed her some of her napkins.

"Ahhh, I ruined your beautiful dress... I'm terribly sorry..."

"It was getting old anyway, don't worry about it! Now, if you would please excuse me, I'm going to go to the washroom to clean myself up." The young lady bowed and gently smiled at (Y/N), who was bowing back profusely.

"Arghh, I can't believe I just ruined someone's dress..." She hung her head low in shame as Sakusa looked at her in a composed manner that contrasted to her agitated display.

"You're so foolish sometimes..."

"Sometimes?" (Y/N) turned her head around to give Sakusa a funny look.

"All the time."

"That wasn't what I was looking for, but I guess you're right," she exasperatedly sighed. "I should be more careful..."

"You should," Sakusa bluntly answered, keeping his gaze in front.

They walked in silence to where their bags were located while watching Komori stuffing himself with food.

"What? I'm hungry," he said with a mouth full of food. "I'm not usually like this, don't worry. It's just that, that match made me especially hungry."

"Stop talking with your mouth full. It's disgusting." Sakusa frowned and turned away to face the wall.

"Please slow down, Komori." (Y/N) handed him a water bottle, which he chugged down along with his food.

"Delicious!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> creepy music does not go well with writing wholesome chapters.  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	27. perfect time

They say the third day was the worst. People who made it that far have to play two matches in one day; that is if they make it past round three.

As Itachiyama made their grand entrance, (Y/N) noticed the increase of cameras stationed around the arena. Only 16 teams were left for round three, and if they made it past that, they would be the top 8 in the country.

Itachiyama was against an unknown school from the Niigata prefecture. They were Senami High School. Not much was known about them except that they relied heavily on their ace, just like Shiratorizawa. An unknown school like them made Sakusa feel unprepared, but if they were only a weaker version of Shiratorizawa, they had nothing to worry about.

It was now up to the number of times Itachiyama practiced just for that moment.

When Senami entered, (Y/N) had to try her best not to laugh out loud. They looked exactly like a counterfeit Shiratorizawa. The hairstyles, everything about them seemed so unoriginal. Were they a giant fan of Shiratorizawa?

The 'Tendou' of the school also had long, spiky hair, except it was hazel instead of red. A total opposite of Tendou's personality too, he seemed less cheerful and quieter, unlike the actual Tendou.

The 'Ushijima' of the school had a completely different look from the original one but shared the same stoic face. He was much shorter than the Ushijima, standing around 182 cm in contrast to the original 189.5 cm giant. His hair was slicked back and had red streaks going through his raven black hair.

It was the less cheerful version of Shiratorizawa.

A keening whistle filled the air around them as the match commenced. This was only a step to their goal. If they passed through round three, they would reach the quarter-finals and become top 8. But they weren't going to just stay in the top 8. They were going to travel farther than that.

They were going to win, maybe not immediately, but definitely.

They channelled their focus throughout their body as they got ready for Senami's serve. If the rumours were accurate and they were just like Shiratorizawa, Itachiyama was made for that moment.

The game between Itachiyama Academy and Senami High School was short-lived. Since Senami based their playstyles on only the ace, it was easy to counter and predict. Matsushima was able to flawlessly shut down their ace with his blocks. Sakusa scored at least 24 points that match since Senami wasn't strong in the defence aspect, so they had a hard time receiving his spikes.

Both sets went to Itachiyama, but they were far from completing the day. Now that they moved onto the quarter-finals, it was just going to be harder. Though, they did have one advantage: the other team was also going to be tired out. Their opponent wasn't decided yet, but when it came to stamina, they might just be on par with Itachiyama.

As (Y/N) walked back with the freshly refilled water bottles, she found herself staring at the whole team while they dozed off. Even Sakusa, who hated sleeping anywhere unknown, was snoozing. His head bobbed and lolled to the side as he tried his best to stay awake.

(Y/N) quietly giggled at the sight, careful not to wake them up as she puts the water bottles back into the carrier. They were fortunate enough to have a two-game break before their next match began.

**• • •**

When the team woke up from their nap, they felt fresh and ready to take on their next opponent, which happened to be Kyozen Tech. Sadly, Kyozen Tech was less fortunate enough to have a nice long break like Itachiyama and instead only had 10 minutes to rest before their next game. It was really unlucky.

While Itachiyama felt all fresh and energized, Kyozen Tech still had their legs feeling like boulders from their previous game as they dragged themselves onto the court.

During the whole game, (Y/N) noted that Kyozen Tech would've been a formidable opponent if they were at their best. Even though they just finished their game before, they still put up a good fight against Itachiyama. Their spikes may not have been as intense as before, but it was enough to score some points.

Their plays were well put together, and they were able to catch Itachiyama off guard from time to time. Most of their points were from the plays they were able to successfully execute.

The game ceased to an end once Itachiyama reached match point, 24-19. The last point went to Itachiyama when the opposition accidentally touched the net when jumping to block Yoneda.

Kyozen Tech collapsed onto the gymnasium floor in exhaustion as the referee blew his whistle, signalling the match was over. Itachiyama was also slightly out of breath. Their ragged breaths weren't loud but audible enough for those who listened carefully.

"Come on, Kiyo! Hurry, I think it's still going on!" (Y/N) ran ahead of Sakusa towards Court B where the match between Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki was held.

"Slow down. It's not like the match is going anywhere." Sakusa frowned. His legs felt like jelly, which he didn't like at all. A relaxing, warm bath would've felt amazing at that moment.

The area around the court crowded with on-lookers. The match between Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki was probably the most anticipated and exciting one that happened that day.

"You go on ahead. I'm going to stay behind..." Sakusa told (Y/N) when he saw the large crowd in front. No way was he getting near that. He'd rather not get the best view of the game than squeeze in and infect himself with other people's germs.

"Uh, alright!"

(Y/N) squeezed through the crowd while mumbling "excuse me" and "sorry" whenever she bumped into someone. Finally, after escaping the walls of the enclosed space from the crowd, she was able to make it in time to see one of Ushijima's fierce spikes.

Ushijima's raw strength sent spikes to the other team like they were bullets. They went 'whoosh' and then a tweet from the referee cueing a point to Shiratorizawa.

The crowd lets out a cacophony of applause and cheering when they saw the ball flash before them.

"Nice kill Ushi-ji-ma!"

"Ushijima! Ushijima! Ushijima!"

The match was intense. (Y/N) noticed the setter of Inarizaki made the ball look so easy to hit. It was so flawless and had perfect timing. It turned the game around.

Ushijima brought out the crowd with his spikes. She could feel the air pass through her hair at every spike. Such power and intensity made it hard to understand how her team beat them without going over the usual winning point of 25.

Ultimately, Inarizaki won but also lost a set to Shiratorizawa. The last set went up to 35 when finally Inarizaki's ace spiked it past Shiratorizawa's blockers, resulting in an instant point.

The fact that the crowd wasn't extremely surprised made it look like Inarizaki was expected to win against them. Another favourite to win Nationals.

As the crowd dispersed once the match wrapped up, (Y/N) turned around only to bump into a firm chest.

"(Y/N)?" A person with the Kansai dialect spoke out in a baffled tone.

She around to see a pair of twins standing in front of her. She was comfortably able to tell them apart from their hair colours. One with grey hair swept to the right, and the other with blonde hair swept to the left.

What confused her more was how they knew her name.

"How do you know my name?" (Y/N) asked while taking a step back from the blonde one's grasp. It was creepy how they knew her name.

"Ya don't remember us? I'm hurtin'." The blonde spoke dejectedly and frowned.

"Wait a minute..." She recognized that voice, barely. But when he spoke some more, she was sure she knew who they were. It had to be them. "Atsumu? Osamu?"

"So ya do recognize us!" Atsumu cheered and placed his fingers around his chin.

"Hey, (Y/N)." Osamu greeted.

"But I can barely tell who's who. I'm guessing blonde is Atsumu, and grey is Osamu?" (Y/N) questioned, puzzled if she was right or not. Atsumu faintly smiled at her statement.

"Yer right. Anyways, why didn't ya tell us that you came back?"

"Ma told us, but your head was too thick to listen to whatever she was saying," Osamu bluntly interjected.

"Shut yer mouth! My head is not thick! I was just too busy to listen." Atsumu snapped.

"Busy being stupid instead."

They began their sibling's fight when Atsumu kicked Osamu, turning it into a full-on kicking battle. They finally stopped once they noticed (Y/N)'s bright jacket with the school name 'Itachiyama' on the back.

"So yer from Itachiyama?" Atsumu gave Osamu one last kick but received a punch back from him.

"Oh yeah, I'm their manager." (Y/N) gleefully explained her journey from coming back to America to where she was right now.

"Ya should've come to our school instead and become our manager!" Atsumu says while pulling Osamu's hair. Osamu yanked a strand of Atsumu's hair in retaliation as they started a full-on battle again.

"You know I can't do that, and stop pulling on each other's hair. You're going to go bald early if you keep doing it."

Osamu yanked Atsumu's hair one last time but finally stopped when Atsumu slapped his hand away.

"I'm going to rip yer hair out if you pull on mines one more time!"

"I'll still look better than you without hair," Osamu mumbled dully.

"You guys are still the same as ever...." (Y/N) placed a hand over her forehead and shook her head in disdain.

"Well, we're gonna win tomorrow, so your team better be prepared!" Atsumu and Osamu walked away in the opposite direction while throwing insults at each other.

"We're also planning on winning, so don't be too confident!" (Y/N) yelled out to them.

She walked away to where Sakusa was waiting with a scowl on his face. Though, when did he not have a scowl? He deepened his brows when (Y/N) finally stopped in front of him.

"What took you so long?"

"I just bumped into some people I knew. Are we leaving now?" He nodded, and they proceeded to walk to the front entrance where most likely, the rest of the team was waiting.

"How do you know so many people...?" Sakusa grumbled. "More germs now..."

"Come on, lighten up! It's good to know more people. It's fun once you get to know them." (Y/N)'s laugh radiated through the arena. It was nearly empty, with only some people left behind to clean up. Most of the teams had already gone back to their hotels, and spectators had already left to go home.

Day 4 of Interhigh Nationals was happening tomorrow, the semi-finals. The round that would determine if they made it to the finals. With only four teams left and Shiratorizawa out, who will be the real victor?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm starting to lose ideas on what to put at the end  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	28. flaws

"Great, everyone's here!"

Iizuna looked around to see the team all promptly gathered in his room. A last-minute call for a meeting, he was glad that everyone was able to make it.

"Nice place you got here, Iizuna!" Matsushima bounced up and down on the bed, making it squeak in the process.

"Hey, hey, you're gonna break the bed." Iizuna pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a weary sigh before turning to face the screen.

"Anyways, let's discuss tomorrow. (L/N), if you please."

(Y/N) turned on the TV, which displayed a slideshow of the team they were going up against in the semi-finals. Ichibayashi High.

They were an opponent unlike the rest of the teams they went against. Another powerhouse team, almost like Shiratorizawa, except they were able to make it to the semi-finals. Itachiyama was lucky enough to face off easier opponents early on but now was when the real question came. Would they be able to win against Ichibayashi High?

As the meeting concluded, (Y/N) rushed up to Sakusa while holding up her phone. "Look! You're on TV!"

Sakusa took one glance and regretted it, "I don't like it."

"What do you mean, 'you don't like it'? You're on TV!"

"So?" He continued watching clips of their past matches during Interhigh. It was an excellent way to see what he had to improve on.

"It's rare to be on TV, aren't you happy?"

Sakusa remained stoic and only shook his head.

"This is hopeless," (Y/N) sighed and left Sakusa as he was too absorbed into the match to care. It didn't matter much to him anyway.

**• • •**

The semi-finals of the Interhigh Nationals occurred first thing in the morning. The world was as silent as if it ended in the night. The sun is still resolutely below the horizon, and the street is as dark as some old-school black and white movie. That was until they arrived at the gymnasium.

The crowd was suffocating. It was massive, the people flowed like rivers, never stopping for obstacles but swirling around them. (Y/N) felt like she was trapped in an endless sea of people.

From the corner of her eyes, she could spot Sakusa slightly panicking from the mass of people as he tried to avoid getting near them. He twisted and turned, trying to stay at least 1 metres away from each person.

In the end, the sea of people was not something he could avoid, and Sakusa decided that he would just take a detour, even if it meant showing up late.

(Y/N) had to push her way through the swarm of people to get to her destination. She couldn't see which way she was headed or where she was headed.

Lucky for her, she caught a glimpse of Komori waving her over and made her way to where she was. "Are you okay? The crowd is massive here. Well, it's expected. It's the semi-finals after all."

"Yeah, I'm fine." (Y/N) scanned her surroundings, there was no sign of Sakusa yet.

"Anyways, did you see where Sakusa went?" Komori joined her as they both scanned the crowd for the certain ebony haired man and bright yellow-green jacket.

"I saw him take a detour because of the crowd, but he's taking a long time to-"

"I'm right here." Sakusa walked up to them with a deeper scowl on his face. In some way, it was different than usual. More irritated looking. His shoulders slouched over, and he emitted a moody aura. From what Komori and (Y/N) could tell, he was very, very unhappy.

"Crowds everywhere... I hate it. I hate it here," Sakusa grumbled while striding past the two.

**• • •**

"Let's have a good match!" The team captains of Itachiyama and Ichibayashi shook hands with each other as the semi-finals began. The skills of two powerful schools would now be taken to the test, as Ichibayashi goes to serve first.

Komori had paid close attention to Iizuna's meeting the night before. Whenever Ichibayashi got the chance to serve first, they would start with their strongest server, who mainly aimed at the corners of the court.

_"It's going right!"_ He saw the servers hand slightly turning to the right as he made contact with the ball. In a flash, Komori was on the right side of the court, receiving the powerful serve perfectly.

The sound of the ball hitting his arm vibrated through the air, a loud smack.

"A flawless receive from Itachiyama's libero, Komori Motoya!" The commentator's voice rang out through the gymnasium. "As expected as Japan's number one high school libero!"

The ball goes to Iizuna, and he does a quick set for Yoneda, who spiked it off the blocker's hand. The opposition's libero received the free ball and lobbed it to their setter.

"He's going left!" Matsushima yelled out to Yoneda to help stop the ball. With Matsushima's quick thinking, they were able to get a free ball from the block.

Iizuna sets to Sakusa, taking the first point of the set against Ichibayashi.

"Yeah!"

The match proceeded normally with Itachiyama in the lead by 2 points. It wasn't a big difference, but Itachiyama was starting to quickly catch onto Ichibayashi's tactics and plays.

When Sakusa scored another point, allowing Itachiyama to break through and enter the 20's first, (Y/N) cheered her heart out. It lifted his spirit as he looked at his clenched hands; they were going to win the first set no matter what.

Just as he promised, Itachiyama ended up winning the first set after Ichibayashi failed to receive Sakusa's spike properly and ended up lobbing it over the net, allowing Iizuna to spike it right down in the front.

The boys were now finally warmed up and ready to take on the next set.

Sakusa could feel the adrenaline flow through his body like electricity. It electrified him. His eyes were wide, letting in every ounce of the light that shone on them.

The happiness at the moment (Y/N) felt was more intense and focused. Seeing Sakusa so fired up stained a smile on her lip, a vibrant and delirious smile.

Matsushima wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he placed his water bottle back onto the bench. His fingers tingled from blocking all those spikes, but it was a good feeling.

"Ready to take on the second set?" Yoneda patted Matsushima on the shoulder as he watched Matsushima stare into space.

"Yeah..."

They began their second set with Matsushima serving. He specialized in floaters without having to jump. It looked like a normal serve, but in reality, it was actually going to swerve around in the air.

For some reason, at that moment, Matsushima didn't feel as energized as he usually was. It felt like something was pulling him down, a pit in his stomach that didn't feel right.

As the match progressed, Matsushima wasn't able to block as many spikes as he was used to. In the first quarter of the game, he was only able to touch three spikes when it was usually almost all of them.

It was an unnerving feeling that brought him down. Ichibayashi took this as a chance to score as many points as they could, letting them lead the set by 4. Matsushima couldn't touch a single one of them.

_"Not enough."_

Why was this happening to him all of a sudden?

_"Hiroyuki! Come out! Your arithmetic's teacher is here!" A young boy sat as still and quietly in the dark in one of the many closets in his house. The sound of the footsteps slowly faded as his mother walked around, trying to find him in their giant estate._

_Being the only child of two well-known politicians wasn't easy, especially when their expectations were exceedingly high. Despite that, Matsushima always did what they wanted. It wasn't because he wanted to. It was because he didn't know what would happen if he didn't go along with it._

_His future was already planned out by his parents. To go to a prestigious university and graduate to become a politician just like his parents. They raised the child they wanted, not the child they had. Was it really what Matsushima wanted?_

_What he wanted was to have friends that he enjoyed being around and a normal childhood. Not some childhood where studying was the only thing he knew. Was it too much to ask for?_

_"Hiroyuki, people that cannot match your level are not your friend. Do not stoop down to their level," his mother told him while walking past a playground full of kids happily chasing each other around._

_He reached out his hands and looked longingly at the kids. He wanted to join them. His eyes drooped, and his arm dropped to his side as the playground disappeared from his sight. To have a friend that he enjoyed being around seemed impossible._

_At school, instead of playing with the other kids, he would be sitting against the school building reading the textbook of their next lessons. He was already five lessons ahead of everyone and learning two years ahead of his grade, but it still wasn't enough for his parents._

_It was never enough._

His mind went blank and eyes went wide in horror as he watched the ball fly past his block. Matsushima whipped his head around to see the ball just inches away from touching the ground.

Never before had Matsushima noticed how time is so much like water; that it can pass slowly, a drop at a time, even freeze, or rush by in a blink. He could feel the floor go soft beneath him, or was it just him?

Komori and Sakusa both dived for the ball, but it was too late. The ball had already touched the ground, and the sound of the whistle filled everyone's ear.

Ichibayashi High had won the set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i took a week to write this chapter just because i was too busy watching Death Parade- i'm crying a lot, i don't regret it  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	29. a beautiful world

_The river was a ribbon of living turquoise, boldly flowing amid the green of the forest. No matter the chatter of the trees, it was steady, welcoming, refreshing. The community of trees stood tall, trunks reaching into the blue above, light filtering through leaves like perfect stained glass._

_Matsushima ran along the edge of the river, escaping the reality he would have to face once he goes home. He didn't know where he was, nor did he know where he was heading. Matsushima had no idea what time it was, and he had no clue what day. All he knew was he had to keep running forward. Not stopping for anything._

_But for him, he ran too close to the edge of the river and lost his footing. He softly gasped as he felt himself tilt into the waterway, but the result was not what he expected._

_He felt his collar being tugged back and his body getting pulled away from the body of water._

_"Woah there, lad! If I wasn't here, you would've fallen into that river and go who knows where!" A deep but warm voice chuckled out._

_Matsushima turned around to see a wizened face peered out from under a wedge of a blue hat, which was the only thing on his otherwise bald and mottled scalp save a sparse fringe of white. His eye lines told of laughter, of warm smiles and affection._

_"Now, what are you doing here doing something so dangerous?" The old man tilted his cap, revealing his forehead filled with numerous lines that told of his worries past and worries present._

_"Um, well... I didn't want to do any more work. That's all I do at home..." Matsushima fumbled with his thumb and spoke quietly, he looked away and kept his gaze on a tiny rock he had found with his eyes._

_Without further questioning, the old man knew what kind of situation he was in and smiled._

_"Then why don't I teach you how to fish? How about it?" He lifted the rod in his hand up as Matsushima's eyes glimmered._

_"Yes, please!"_

Matsushima hunched over as he sat on the bench and stared blankly into space. His eyes were empty, devoid of any emotions.

(Y/N) slightly furrowed her brows, worried for his well-being. She had never seen him in such a state. She had only seen him as a cheerful, fun-loving person that always cracked a joke. So why was she feeling the air of melancholy surrounding him?

_"That's amazing, Gramps! How do you do it?" Matsushima's eyes shimmered at the sight of the giant fish that the old man reeled in._

_It has been four months since Matsushima met the old chap. Every day after school, he would go to the nearby river where the old man was always found fishing around._

_"Be patient. Fishing is an art of patience and timing. It takes practice."_

_"So, I have to learn to wait? I'm going to grow a beard just like yours by the time I master fishing!" Matsushima pouted and stared at the giant fish._

_The old man chuckled at his statement as he unhooked the fish from his rod and threw it back into the river. "Patience is more than simply learning to wait. Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting."_

_"Wahh..." Matsushima pursed his lips and hung his head._

_"Enough about that, you seem down today, my boy. Did something happen?"_

_Matsushima dug into his pocket and took out a small, folded piece of paper. "This is the problem."_

_"My mother's making me do this algebra question, but I don't get it at all! I don't like it."_

_"Let me have a look," the old man glanced over Matsushima's shoulder as he unfolded the paper. On the paper, it displayed one question: 5x + 3 = 7x – 1._

_He looked at Matsushima in a bewildered expression. "How old are you again, my boy?"_

_"I'm six!" Matsushima held up six fingers to further express his age and smiled cheekily._

_"Kids these days are crazy smart..." The old man thought and stared at the paper for a few more seconds before gently smiling. "I'll teach you how."_

_Dusk comes sooner than expected, the last of the sun's rays cosseted behind the soft grey clouds. The trees are crazy silhouettes against a newly silver sky, its blue hue almost gone until dawn. Their branches sway in the wind, creaking into the gusting air._

_"...And the answer is x equals 2!" The older man gleefully told Matsushima whose mouth dropped down._

_"You're smart, Gramps!"_

_"It takes practice to master something. Practice makes perfect!"_

_The old man handed the piece of paper back to Matsushima, who stuffed it into his pocket._

_"Say, boy, what do you like to do other than fishing?"_

_Matsushima looked at the man and then into the sky, before looking at his shoes. "Other than fishing... I like to play volleyball!"_

_"Then why don't you play it and practice often?" The old man could see the change of expression on Matsushima's face, from a joyful smile to a dejected frown._

_"Because my parents said that it's useless. But I don't think it's useless. It's fun!"_

Matsushima contorted his face at the fact that he failed to block another spike. Itachiyama was now down one, and he wasn't doing well. If only someone were there to give him one last push.

_He was old, and his deep wrinkles seemed to carve a map of his life on his still agile and mobile facial features. His twinkling eyes were framed by thick white eyebrows, and on his stubbled chin were white whiskers._

_"Then, do what you want."_

_Matsushima whipped his head to face the old man and gave him a glum frown. He picked at the rocks beneath his shoes and threw them into the river. "But my parents-"_

_"Never give up on what you really want to do. Don't let someone else control you, and don't stop until you're proud. You, youngsters, should make the most of your youth before you end up old and unable to do as much, like me."_

_The jolly old chap laughed and ruffled Matsushima's hair. His wrinkled but warm hands made Matsushima feel ecstatic. Finally, someone who understood him. Someone that didn't tear down his dreams and wants. Someone that helped him feel good enough._

_There wasn't anyone in the world, including his parents, that he needed to prove that he was good enough. He had been always enough._

Those memories hit Matsushima as he went up for another block. It was the push he needed. He wasn't going to stop blocking until he was proud.

Matsushima leaned his body to the right mid-air to block the line shot that had changed into a cross, resulting in an instant point for Itachiyama.

Now Itachiyama was back in the lead.

"Sorry for keeping you all waiting," he cheekily smiled. Yoneda smiled back at the fact that he had snapped out of his trance and slapped his back hard.

"It's good to have you back!"

Itachiyama was in a tight spot, with the score being at 25-24. Ichibayashi had the serve, and it was their strongest server that was serving.

The ball was about to go to Yoneda but then swerved mid-air to Komori, who ended up lobbing it to the other side.

"Sorry!"

"Don't mind! Let's just focus on blocking this ball!" Matsushima yelled as he closely watched the ball. He watched the set go to the right and ran to the right to do a three-person block with Iizuna and Sakusa.

As the opposition prepared to do a cross-shot, Matsushima noticed something off and instantly changed to do a block for a line shot. It seemed his intuition was right as the opposite team had switched to do a line shot instead of a cross, making it go straight into his hand.

The sound of the ball smacking against Matsushima's hand filled the area. The other team watched wide-eyed as the ball fell in slow motion. He could feel the energy surge through his body when he saw the ball bounce against the ground. Three people had dived for it, but neither one of them had managed to save it.

26 - 24.

The was a moment of silence. Then the crowd erupted in cheers. The cheers erupted like an auditory volcano. It was all quiet one second and then deafening the next, rising to a crescendo and then falling to a trickle. Victory.

Sweat poured down his face. His heart smashed around in his chest. Matsushima's lungs screamed for air as he raised his fist into the air. More cheers. He didn't even notice the tears that formed in his eyes.

_"Gramps, if only you were here, I'm sure you would be proud."_

There were a watering of (Y/N)'s eyes as she held her cheers inside.

Itachiyama had made it to the finals! The finals! Her anxiousness turned into a surge of happiness and excitement. She released her grip around the chair and looked at her now red hands. She didn't know what to feel anymore as it was just adrenaline running through her body now.

_On a quiet summer day, Matsushima sat in front of the TV as he did his homework. It had been over a year since he met the old man. Just like what the man said, he began practicing volleyball more and more, much to his parent's dismay._

_The TV played the news in the background which he didn't pay mind to as it was boring. But his ears perked when the news announced something about a robbery. A bad feeling formed when he began listening._

_"Last night, around nine o'clock, a terrible homicide happened."_

_He dropped his pencil and shook his head in disbelief when he heard the next part of the news. Matsushima stood up and walked up to the TV, clenching his fist. Please don't tell him. Please don't-_

_"The victim has been identified as 78-year-old Ishida Hisashi, who had been passing by at the time when the robber came and stabbed him fives times in the chest before taking his belongings. A rescue attempt by the ambulance was vain as the man had already died from the strike to his chest. Authorities are still looking for the robber-"_

_Matsushima gripped his hair and dropped down onto his knee. The name Ishida Hisashi echoed in his head as the room spun around him. From the living room came the most hysterical crying, the screaming sobs only interrupted by the person's need to draw breath._

_"Hiroyuki? What happened? Why are you crying?" His mother bent down to hug him, but he only shoved her away. Everything came crashing down on him in an instant._

_When he cried, there was a rawness to it like the pain was still an open wound. He clasped onto something for support, anything, a table or the back of a chair, and then his whole body shook._

_The sobs were stifled at first as he attempted to hide his grief, then overcome by the wave of his emotions he would break down entirely, all his defences washed away in those salty tears._

_It felt like emptiness in his heart, a shear of nothingness that somehow took over and held his soul and threatened to kill him entirely. It gave him this heavy feeling that's like the weight of the world is resting on his shoulders, and there is nothing he can do to get out from under it._

_It's like this hole in his heart that is the shape of the one he lost. His number one supporter was now gone._

"Nice going, Matsushima!" Iizuna gave him a double high-five, and Yoneda tackled him into the ground.

"That block was amazing! You should do more of it!" Yoneda ruffled his hair as Matsushima laughed.

"What do you mean more of it? I do what I always do!"

Even Sakusa, who rarely gave compliments presented a thumbs up and mumbled under his mask, "good job."

_Nine years after his passing and Matsushima still mourned the death of the old man. He stood in front of a tall gravestone that read, "Ishida Hisashi."_

_It was a breezy March afternoon. He let the wind waltz through his hair and sing its songs to stir the emotions. It brought the sweet memories of times gone and hopes for a good future ahead._

_Matsushima placed the fresh flowers onto the gravestone as he bent down and hung his head, letting the treasured memories relive and play in his head._

_"Thanks for being part of my life, Gramps."_

_He took a deep breath before continuing his one-sided conversation._

_"I'm able to play volleyball so happily now, thanks to you. I hope you're proud of me."_

_After leaving the cemetery, Matsushima made his way to the old river, now closed due to the dangerous situations there. He hopped over the fence and stuffed his hand into his pocket as he gazed upon the spot he first met Gramps._

_For a second, the figure of Gramps showed up in front of him, displaying his usual jolly smile. Matsushima blinked twice and slightly smiled as he vanished from his sight. Gramps may be gone, but he would always live on in his heart and those memories they created together._

_It's hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not good at writing sad things but here it is anyways  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	30. weasels vs fox

"Miya-senpai!"

Itachiyama had made it to the finals of the Nationals. Their final challenger was Inarizaki, who ended up beating Mujinazaka in the semi-finals. Now with two out of the three aces of Japan were out, Sakusa was now the only one left.

The atmosphere was one of elation. The warm summer air punctuated by whoops and hollers from both of the school's cheerleading team. It was like a competition to see which school could cheer the loudest. Inarizaki's band could barely drown the cheers coming from Itachiyama and their smaller band.

"I think my ears are going to burst!" (Y/N) plugged her ears with her fingers and shouted as loud as she could over the cheering and hollering, just so Sakusa could hear her.

Sakusa covered his ears with his hands while he muttered something inaudible.

"Omi-kun! (Y/N)!" Atsumu and Osamu waved and approached them as the cheering started dying down.

"Can you not call me that?" Sakusa grumbled, glaring at Atsumu specifically. "And how do you know (Y/N)? Are you stalking her? What's your relationship with her, Miya?"

"Woah! Slow down. I couldn't catch anything you said!" Atsumu chuckled and lifted both of his hands in surrender. His chuckle turned into a lazy grin as he rested his elbow on (Y/N)'s shoulder.

"Well, you see here, I'm (Y/N)'s boyfrien-" his proud introduction was interrupted with (Y/N) elbowing him in the stomach. "Gah!"

Sakusa narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue. A flash of irritation was displayed across his face when Atsumu tried to introduce himself as (Y/N)'s boyfriend.

"That joke was gross, Atsumu." (Y/N) slapped Atsumu's shoulder, earning a yelp from him.

"Ow, that hurts!"

She ignored his comment and heavily sighed. "We're cousins. Second cousins, to be exact."

"Hah?" Sakusa deepened his furrowed brows. "When? How? Why?"

"Whaddya mean why? We just are!" Atsumu scoffed.

"What a lame joke," Osamu deadpanned. "No wonder it failed."

"Shut yer mouth! Like you can do any better..."

"I can do so much better. I just chose not to."

"Oh yeah? Then prove-"

"Are you two fighting again?" Aran called them out from the other side of the court. "Jeez, you guys are always fighting even when the finals are about to start...."

Atsumu smiled and wrapped his fingers around his chin. "I guess that's our time to leave."

"Yeah, please go." Sakusa bluntly says.

"Aw, don't be so mean Omi-kun."

"I said, don't call me-"

Atsumu and Osamu had already turned around to leave, paying no attention to Sakusa's complaint about the nickname. That made Sakusa extremely irritated.

The open center court was bathed in the light and attention from everyone. All the news stations that covered volleyball were stationed everywhere, from the first to the third floor. Everyone was engrossed in the upcoming match that was about the happen. The finals for the Interhigh Nationals.

The referee blew his whistle, and everyone went their respective benches. The match was about to begin.

"Go, go, let's go! Let's go Ina High!"

"Itachiyama! Go, go, Itachiyama!"

The coach of Itachiyama crossed his arms and smiled proudly at the boys. "Since we got this far, let's win Nationals. Is that clear?"

"Right!"

"Do you have anything else to say (L/N)?" The volleyball club's boys turned their attention on (Y/N), who had a confident smile across her face as she let her eyes wander around, thinking about what she wanted to say to them.

"I believe that you can all win this! Do your best!" Her smile grew bigger as she said those words. The weight lifted from her shoulders as if an overly large child had just leapt off after a satisfying piggyback ride.

She closed her eyes and felt the positivity flow, recharging her neurons until they rekindle and spark. Right now, it is a spark of hope, a ray of sunshine yet to be born, but it was there, and she felt it. Perhaps that is optimism, the anticipation of good things to come. It was a feeling she hasn't had in so long that if felt as foreign as it was welcomed.

For some reason, (Y/N) felt calmer than usual. Usually, she would be anxious for what was going to happen next, but now, she had a weird feeling inside her, a feeling that told her they were going to do well.

"We will now begin the Japanese National High School Volleyball Tournament, Finals."

"Tokyo Prefecture, Itachiyama Academy versus Hyogo prefecture, Inarizaki High School."

Everyone was so solemn. Their once laid-back demeanour had disappeared so suddenly, making (Y/N) feel slightly uneasy from her calmness.

It's been exactly four months since she had first joined the team as their manager. At first, it started rough for her. All the paperwork she had to do for the team and managing her school life was gruelling. She almost wanted to give up.

She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she wanted to stay with them. With the team's support, (Y/N) was able to get through all the hardships she encountered and battle them with ease. You could say she was able to come out of her shell and grow more confident with herself.

Joining the team was probably the best choice she had ever made in her life. It was the happy memories that sustained them, that carried them through the challenging times of loss, and reminded them that their bonds were significant and worthwhile.

"We will now introduce the Inarizaki High School's starting lineup."

"#2, Oomimi Ren."

"#4, Ojiro Aran."

"#5, Ginjma Hitoshi."

"#7, Miya Atsumu." Atsumu confidently ran onto the court with a carefree smile. He was definitely plotting something.

"#10, Suna Rintarou."

"#11, Miya Osamu." Osamu remained calm in contrast to his brother's overwhelming confidence. Secretly, he was thinking about the meal he would have after the match.

_"I think there was an onigiri shop down the street from our hotel, or should I get some soba instead?"_

"#15, Libero, Akagi Michinari."

"Coach, Kurosu Norimune."

The Miya twins fangirls yelled out some last-minute cheers before they could announce Itachiyama's lineup. "Osamu-senpai! Atsumu-kun!"

"Next, we will introduce the Itachiyama Academy's starting lineup."

"#1, Iizuna Tsukasa."

"#2, Matsushima Hiroyuki."

Matsushima jumped into the air like a starfish. "Yippee! Let's do this!"

"#4, Yoneda Kou."

"#7, Oyami Naoki*."

"#9, Shishido Yuudai*."

"#10, Sakusa Kiyoomi."

The crowd went wild. Even Sakusa had some fangirls cheer out his name as the announcer announced his name. "Sakusa-kun! Sakusa-senpai!"

"Yeah, let's go, Kiyo!" (Y/N) hollered out from the bench.

It made his mouth twitch as he fought a smile. While giving one last glance at (Y/N), he found energy in her smile. It was just what he needed. She had the kind of smile that made him feel happy to be alive, and just that little bit more human.

"#13, Libero, Motoya Komori." Komori nervously laughed and waved at the crowd that cheered him on as he ran onto the court. He was still not used to it at all.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please cheer on both teams and wish them best."

A loud rush of applause filled the gymnasium as it was the only thing (Y/N) could hear. It was now that the rush of nervousness hit her. Just stepping on the court made her breathing rapid and shallow. She could feel her pulse pounding in her temples. It's a relief to get to her chair because between the shoes and her legs. They were shaking.

_"Don't forget to do your best!" (Y/N) followed Sakusa from behind as they walked to the lobby of their hotel._

_"Yeah, this is the fifth time you told me today," Sakusa muttered out, sounding annoyed, but in reality, he enjoyed her encouragement even if it was repetitive. "You sound more nervous than me, and you're not even playing."_

_"Exactly! How are you not nervous at all? Arghh, I don't want to be nervous, but I can't stop!"_

_"You know being nervous isn't bad. It just means something important is happening." They stepped into the elevator as the door opened with a ding._

_"Hey, I'm supposed to be the one that's encouraging people!" (Y/N) stuck out her bottom lip and placed her hands on her hip dramatically._

_"Well, you're not doing a very good job... But thank you." Sakusa's last words were muffled by his mask and hand, as he placed a hand over his mouth._

_(Y/N) widened her eyes, did she hear that right? Did Sakusa just thank her?_

_"U-Um, you're welcome..." She brought her hands to her cheek. Why was she feeling flushed? It was just Sakusa. What was there to be embarrassed about...?_

Sakusa clenched his fist as he stared at the ceiling. The finals were beginning, and all eyes were on him. It was now or never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oyami, Naoki (An OC) - 3rd year middle block. He can't take jokes and will end up doing something stupid if no one tells him it's a joke. He was the one who taught Matsushima how to read and do better blocks. Ever since then, Matsushima had grown so much better that he's concerned if he had gotten worse. 190.5 cm. Jersey Number: #7
> 
> Shishido, Yuudai (An OC) - 1st year wing spiker. He looks up to Sakusa and always wants to be acknowledge by him. Sakusa being Sakusa, doesn't really say or do much about him but gives him compliments once in a while (by once in a while, like once every century). He's an up and coming star and is said to be the next ace after Sakusa. 180 cm. Jersey Number: #9  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	31. give me a purpose

The band section of Inarizaki slowly extinguished as Atsumu walked back to the serving line. Itachiyama took their position, waiting and anticipating for whatever he was about to throw at them.

Was it going to be a jump floater? A powerful jump serve? They wouldn't know until the last minute.

The band from Inarizaki went absolutely silent as Atsumu raised his fist. (Y/N) was fascinated by what was about to happen. Usually, the team would be cheering the server on, but not in this case. Inarizaki remained silent when Atsumu began to serve.

One second the ball was in the air; the next second, the ball was on the ground and a point to Inarizaki. It happened all so fast that (Y/N) barely saw it.

"Inarizaki starts off the first set with a service ace from their setter, Miya Atsumu! What a spectacle!"

Yoneda took a deep breath. The ball flew past him so fast and onto the backline that he didn't even notice it. He had to keep an eye out, or the ball would never be in the air.

"What a crazy serve..." Komori openly admired. He too didn't react fast enough to receive the serve.

**• • •**

_On the day Yoneda opened his eyes for the first time, his parents were hazy blurs, but he had taken in their aromas, bathed in their soft words and felt the warm touch of gentle hands. Each time he had cried, they came at once, and so an idea of safety in his world developed, a foundation on which his future personality would rest._

_But nothing lasts forever._

_In the years that followed, life wasn't so simple. When his Dad skipped out of their lives, his sister became his mom. Not because they didn't have Mom anymore, but because she spent every waking hour earning enough money to pay the mortgage and buy groceries._

_Yoneda had always wondered if his life had always just been a dream. If he would wake up, the warmth he once knew would be there to replace the coldness he felt. But it was a never-ending dream that he couldn't wake up from. It was a reality._

_Sometimes he thought back to how he used to whine for the cool stuff other kids had. He would try to scrub those memories from his brain, but he was a kid, and that's what kids do._

**• • •**

As Inarizaki lead the game with 1 to 0, Itachiyama shifted their positions as Atsumu walked back to the serving line.

_"He's taking six, no four steps."_ Yoneda silently analyzed his strides. He was sure that the rest of the team also knew that he was going to do a jump floater. It was what they studied the night before; four steps for jump floater, six steps for a spike serve.

Good thing, (Y/N) pointed it out, or they would've had major trouble with him.

Atsumu's jump floater was fast and swerved around the air a lot. It muddled (Y/N)'s thoughts, where was it going to land?

At the last minute, just as the ball was about to land right on the line, Komori dived for the ball and perfectly got it to Iizuna.

Iizuna took a glance at the opponent's side of the court to see that they were prepared to block anyone he sets the ball to. He decided to do a quick set to Matsushima and was impressed when Inarizaki's blockers were able to deduce where he was going to set before even setting.

Two blockers were on Matsushima when he leaped into the air for the ball. His jumping added onto his height as he spiked the ball over the block. His jumping height was 346 cm which was unusually higher for someone standing at 192 cm. It was almost half his height.

The point goes to Itachiyama after Inarizaki failed to receive Matsushima's spike. It was just the beginning of their warm-up with each other.

**• • •**

_The wind howled as the students arrived through the gates, hustling and bustling down the corridors. Friends are greeting each other with a hug or a playful punch while newcomers stood looking scared._

_The seniors stood, tall and proud, a confidence born of experience. Soon the bells ring, and everybody ran except an occasional slowcoach or chatterbox._

_It was the second year for Yoneda at Itachiyama. After passing the entrance exam with the top score and entering one of the best schools in Tokyo, he was sure he was going to get a good future from this._

_As Yoneda slid the door open to his classroom, he found that his usual window seat spot was taken by someone he didn't recognize at all. Was he a new student?_

_The person in his seat looked carefree as they sat at Yoneda's spot with his legs up on the desk and leaned back on the chair, snoozing away._

_"Excuse me, that's my seat you're sitting at." Yoneda tilted his head in confusion. The boy didn't respond and continued to snore away, it annoyed Yoneda to an extent Great, just the perfect way to start his second year._

_The clock ticked as time passed. Yoneda tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for the boy to wake up. But he didn't have time, any moment now would the teacher walk in, and he would lose his seat. Everyone wanted a window seat. It was to sit in the unsubdued light of the morning._

_"Oi! Wake up!" He slapped his hand onto the desk, making the boy jerk away and topple over backwards with a crash._

_"Oww..." The boy rubbed the back of his head and winced before looking at Yoneda. "Who are you?"_

_"You were sitting in my spot."_

_"Well that's too bad, find another one. Finders, keepers." He stuck his tongue out and flipped the chair back upright, plopping himself onto the seat._

_"You littl-"_

_"Ah, Yoneda, I see you have met Matsushima Hiroyuki, the first-year that will be joining us for math." A single figure entered the room; sheer authority silencing the group._

_"Huh?" Yoneda looked back and forth between the two, with his mouth hanging open. He was part of a college preparatory class only for the top students in their second-year, yet a first-year managed to join it? A mere first-year...?_

_"Now, please take a seat, Yoneda."_

_"But my seat has been taken." He gave a sharp look at Matsushima, who raised both of his hands in defence._

_"Please just find another seat then."_

_Yoneda begrudgingly followed the teacher's order and found a seat at the back of the classroom and the furthest away from the window. At the corner of his eyes, he could see Matsushima grin provocatively at him, making Yoneda tighten his grip around his pencil._

_It was just one class, he would just have to endure that one class, and he wouldn't have to see him again for the rest of the day. Well, that's what he thought._

_"What are you doing here!" Yoneda aggressively pointed at Matsushima as he walked into the gym to be met with the sight of him blocking a ball._

_"Looks like you're already familiar with one of our new members!" Iizuna wrapped his arm around Yoneda's slumped shoulder. Not only would he have to spend math class with the person he despised, but Yoneda would also have to spend time doing the only thing he enjoyed outside of school, volleyball._

_"While we're at it, let's introduce you to the rest of the new members."_

_Iizuna dragged Yoneda to where Sakusa and Komori were._

_"Pleased to make your acquaintance! I am Komori Motoya from Dosho Junior High! I play libero," Komori enthusiastically introduced and did a 30 degrees bow._

_"I'm Sakusa Kiyoomi, also from Dosho Junior High, and I play wing spiker." Sakusa casually says and does a bow._

_Yoneda already knew those two, not personally, but because of their name._

_Komori and Sakusa were very well-known for their volleyball skills since junior high, but it seemed like Iizuna already knew them before they entered high school._

**• • •**

Inarizaki's cheering squad started booing and playing unrhythmic tunes as Iizuna walked to the serving line. (Y/N) was greatly displeased by this, they could've used any other strategy to distract the opponent, but they chose to boo? They shouldn't even try distracting the opponents. It was unsportsmanlike.

Sakusa frowned, all the booing and horrible sounds gave him a headache. It was just so annoying and distracting, just what they wanted. But the referee couldn't do anything about it. The cheering squad wasn't playing on the court, hence the reason why the referee couldn't stop them. They didn't have the power to.

Inarizaki received the ball from Iizuna's serve and began to attack. Atsumu sets the ball to Aran, who tried to aim for the corner of the court only to have the ball perfectly received by Sakusa. It was like Itachiyama had two liberos.

The ball goes to Iizuna, who sets it back to Sakusa. Instead of going for a full-powered spike, he does a whip that Inarizaki's libero flawlessly received.

The point goes to Inarizaki after Atsumu sets to Suna, who twisted his body mid-air to bypass the blockers in front of him. Even Matsushima was impressed by it.

It was a tight lead from Inarizaki, 14 to 13. They may have the upper hand, but that didn't mean Itachiyama couldn't catch up.

"Sakusa doesn't seem like a threat at all! He hasn't scored much this set."

"Will Itachiyama really be okay?"

(Y/N) could hear a nearby spectators comment as a rare silence enveloped the gym. She smirked smugly to herself since she knew that he was busy analyzing the opponents before getting serious. Once he gets serious, that's when the real battle began.

On the other side of the court, sitting on the bench was Inarizaki's captain, Kita Shinsuke, who noticed Sakusa wasn't using his full power. He was holding back for something.

**• • •**

_"Impossible!" Yoneda crumpled up the piece of paper that was once his test._

_For the first time in 4 years, he had been outsmarted by someone else on a test, and it just had to be the first-year, Matsushima._

_"A hundred percent? He got a hundred percent?!" He harshly glared at Matsushima, who crossed his arms and sardonically grinned back._

_"Sucks to suck."_

_"What did you say? Say that to my face again."_

_"Sucks. To. Suck."_

_"I'm gonna-"_

_"Boys!" The two stopped what they were about to do and looked at the teacher who gave them a stern look._

_"You both did well on the test. You should be proud! Now both of you, please go out into the hall to cool your heads."_

_They reluctantly walked out into the empty hallway as the class proceeded without them. Both of them faced each other with their back and didn't dare to even look at each other. They hated each other._

_It disturbed Yoneda how Matsushima doesn't do his homework, yet still got higher grades than him._

_But one may ask, how did they manage to go from a deeply hate-filled relationship to one where they both greatly respected each other?_

_They were polar opposites._

_They both extremely, absolutely, utterly hated each other._

_They liked the things the other person hated._

_Always insulted and made fun of each other._

_So how?_

_Maybe because they shared one important thing. Their love for volleyball._

**• • •**

**_(12-year-old Yoneda)_ **

_On those rare occasions where Yoneda's mom had a day off from work, she couldn't find him anywhere. His sister had gone out with her friends as she was finally free from taking care of her brother. It wasn't like she hated him or disliked him, she loved him with all her heart, but sometimes, she needed a little me time too._

_"Kou? Are you home?"_

_The silence of the house-made her blood as cold as the autumnal air that crept through an open window. Bereft of any wind the leaves outside hung limp until they fell of their own accord. There was no whispering noise or rustling._

_She walked around the house, calling out his name in the process. Could he have run away, kidnapped maybe?_

_Her assumptions were dismissed when she heard sniffling as she walked past the storage room of their house._

_She slowly turned the doorknob to the room and saw a tiny figure huddled in the corner. The closet was small and could barely contain many items much less a person, but somehow Yoneda was able to squeeze through all the objects and still have space to crouch down._

_"What's wrong, Kou?"_

_Yoneda turned his head, immediately recognizing the voice and ran into her open arms. His sniffles turned into full-on cries as he sobbed into her chest unceasingly, hands clutching at her jacket. She held him in silence, rocking him slowly as his tears soaked her chest. That was all she could do until he was ready to talk._

_After ten minutes' worth of sobbing, Yoneda finally calmed down, and his mom took this as a chance to ask what happened._

_"I- I *hic* failed my *hic* test..." He tightened his grip around her jacket and buried his face into her lap._

_Yoneda had never known failure before in his life. He was always prepared and studied everything beforehand, never letting a single information slip by. Then how did he manage to fail this one test?_

_Who knew failure could feel so... awful. It felt like all Yoneda's effort, and preparation was for nothing and just washed away like the waves that came crashing down onto the shore, washing away everything in its path._

_"I failed you and nee-san."_

_His mom wrapped her arms around Yoneda. At that moment, the arms squeezed a fraction tighter, and Yoneda breathed more slowly, his body melting into his mom's as every muscle lost its tension to the winter air._

_"You didn't fail anyone, Kou. Words can't express how proud I am of you," his mom quietly whispered out. She got so caught up in her work that she failed as a mother to properly pay attention to her kids. She loved her kids. It was the kind of love that said, "I would give my life for my child any time, any place."_

_It was normal for a mother to think that way._

_"Kou, you tried your best, didn't you?" She could feel the slight movement of a nod in her lap and smile. "Then that's all that matters. You try, you fail, you learn, that's how you succeed."_

_"But-" Yoneda lifted his head to protest but was silenced when his mom placed a finger on his lip._

_"No buts, you push yourself too hard. You should do something else other than studying."_

_"Like what?"_

_"What do you like to do?"_

_Those words made him think deeply about his answer. What did he like to do?_

**• • •**

Yoneda fell back as he failed to receive Suna's spike. His arms were red, and he mentally cursed before shaking it off. He was going to get the next one, no matter what. He tried to receive the spike, failed, and learned from his mistake and prepared himself for the upcoming serve.

He was a persistent one and wasn't going to stop until he got it right.

_The spring greeted the skin as butterfly wings greeted the air with gentle uplifting confidence. Yoneda walked through the gates of Itachiyama as it was his first day at Itachiyama as a first-year. Club stalls lined the pathway with members yelling and waving pieces of paper for people to join their club. But one particular stall caught his eye._

_The volleyball club of Itachiyama was calm and less desperate for people to join. They just unemotionally handed out the papers for their club without a word._

_Should he try volleyball? He had seen a few matches on TV before, and it seemed entertaining. He needed something to do outside of studying, so why not try it out?_

_Who knew it was also the day he would fall in love with the sport._

**• • •**

_"I love you, you know, Kou." His mom had finally said those words to him. She felt guilty for not telling him that often, but finally, this was the moment she could say it._

_Hearing those words, his smile was one of happiness growing, much as a spring flower opens. She could see how it came from deep inside to light his eyes and spread into every part of him._

_A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It never fails or falters. It was the heart of the family. Words weren't enough to express the unconditional love that exists between a mother and her child._

_"I.. love you too, mama."_

It was spot on. He was at the perfect spot to receive Aran's spike. The score was now 26 to 25, and Itachiyama was leading. Other than failure, Yoneda hated losing. He wasn't going to let it end right there.

Losing wasn't an option.

His receive may not be as good as Sakusa's or Komori's, but it was enough to keep it in the air and go somewhat near the setter. He had to open a path up for his team.

He was still working on it, and once it was perfected, Itachiyama would have three liberos.

The ball flew quickly to Iizuna, who sets it to Sakusa. There was something so satisfying watching his junior spike, but at the same time, it was frustrating. It was perfectly balanced. The power was there, and so was the control. To be so perfect took a lot of dedication and practice.

Sakusa spiked the ball off of Atsumu's hand, making it ricochet to the side. It flew past the barriers and into a spectators hand. Inarizaki's libero and middle blocker stopped at the barrier after missing their chance to save the ball. It was impossible to save it.

(Y/N) tingled from her head to her toes. She bounced on her flexing feet and clasped her hands together. She wore the facial expression of a small child with an, especially large Christmas present.

1:0 / 27 - 25

While everyone congratulated Sakusa for scoring the winning point, Yoneda walked back to the bench only to hear his name get called out.

"Kou! Good job, Kou!"

He turned his head around to see his mom and sister cheering his name. They were there... cheering him on.

Happiness flowed through him, warming his skin like the rays of the early summer sun. His customary cautious grin exploded into a radiant smile that he had never worn before, not even as a small boy. Everything was going to be alright now. He had his mom, sister, and Itachiyama. They were a team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3000+ words wow  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	32. awaken

The team of Inarizaki waited for Coach Kurosu to explain what to do next only to have him say this one unexpected line:

"Take this as an advantage like how a dog ravages his bone."

The team could only nod slowly at his habitual but intriguing example in his explanation.

Back at the benches of Itachiyama, Sakusa remained lost in thought as their coach explained what they needed to watch out for and take advantage. 

"Sakusa?" Iizuna waved his hand in front of his face.

Sakusa snapped out of his thoughts and raised an eyebow at Iizuna. "Yes?"

"The match is starting. You didn't seem like you were going to move anytime soon, so I came to wake you up!"

"Oh, thank you..."

**• • •**

The second set started with a strong serve from Shishido, slightly breaking the formation of Inarizaki by having Atsumu receive.

Osamu covered for Atsumu as a setter and sets to Ginjima only to be overwhelmed by Matsushima and Oyami's wall. His rashness caused him to spike right into the block, thinking it could blow them away.

Normally, this type of spike would break through a block, but this was Matsushima and Oyami he was facing. They weren't someone people should underestimate.

At that moment, Matsushima and Oyami instantly shut down Ginjima's spike, gaining the first point of the second set for Itachiyama.

"Yes!"

With Sakusa still being cautious around Inarizaki, Itachiyama tried to best to score as much without their ace.

Inarizaki fought hard to secure their place in the finals; if they were to lose the second set, it would lessen their chance of winning. They weren't planning on losing either.

Aran spiked the ball, aiming for the left sidelines only to have Sakusa dive and save it.

The ball flew over the net, giving Inarizaki another free ball. Itachiyama was down four points, and Inarizaki was already at set point. They only needed one more point before Inarizaki would win the second set.

Inarizaki's libero received the free ball and passed it up to the front. Instead of Atsumu being at the spot where the setter was usually at, he joined his team as they all ran towards the front. Itachiyama was baffled, what were they going to pull off?

Just as they thought Atsumu was going spike it, he does his twin signature move with Osamu: the soul-swap delayed spike.

Osamu sets the ball to Atsumu instead as they switched places, catching Itachiyama off-guard. They did not expect something so risky, but this was Inarizaki they were playing against. When were they ever not doing anything risky?

Atsumu's spike went past the block and landed right on the line. Komori tried to save it only to miss the ball by a millisecond. Only if he knew a second before they were going to do it.

Their spirits rose right out of their chests, their shouts of joy echoing around. The crowd went wild, they hollered the Miya twin's names, and their band played a jubilant theme to celebrate their win of the second set. To pull off such an impressive move for the last point was incredible.

"Sorry, if only I reacted a second faster, the ball would still be in the air." Komori panted out and wiped the dripping sweat from his forehead with a towel.

"It's alright. We just need to win the next set!" Iizuna playfully slapped his back.

"I got it," Sakusa suddenly says, and widened his eyes.

Iizuna's neutral face turned into a faint grin and placed his hands on his hip. "Looks like Sakusa has awakened."

"Ew, don't put it like that. It sounds weird."

"I'm feeling energized!" Matsushima widely smiled at his hands before lifting them into the air like Simba.

"Why does everyone sound like they've gained superpowers except for me..." Yoneda sadly sighed out.

"No, you gained superpowers too! You received that impressive spike from Inarizaki's Aran! It looked like it would blow a regular player away!" (Y/N) cheered out.

Yoneda's jaw dropped, and his eyes glimmered. "It felt like an arrow pierced through my heart...!"

"What! I want a compliment too, (L/N)...." Matsushima's shoulders dropped, and he tried to wrap his arms around her shoulder. He got stopped by Yoneda, who pulled him away by his collar.

"No, I need (L/N)-san's compliment to linger some more!"

"Wahh... So mean..."

Iizuna clapped his hands together, making the sound echo through the gym. "Alright, let's win the next two sets. Got it?"

"YEAH!"

**• • •**

"Go, go, Sakusa!"

"Fight, fight, Sakusa!"

"Nice kill!~"

Sakusa briskly spiked the ball with dangerous spin and cleverly aimed it past the three-man block.

Osamu dived for the ball, just barely keeping it up in the air. The ball goes right above the net, which lets Sakusa spike it right back at them.

"The first point of the third set goes to Itachiyama! What an outstanding spike from Sakusa!"

"I agree! Such precision and power, and he's only a second-year!"

Atsumu clicked his tongue and gave a side-eye glare. "So, he finally decides to reveal his true colours now."

The match progressed with Itachiyama leading most of the time. With their ace at almost a hundred percent, they were triumphant.

Meanwhile, Suna silently judged Matsushima's block as he watched him shut down one of Gin's vigorous spikes.

They were perfectly timed, strong and exerted little hesitation. In some way, it was also intimidating. Matsushima was able to adapt to his wide-ranged spikes in just one set.

Every time he was in the front, he would always give Suna trouble. Whether it was a total shut down or a one-touch, he was always able to touch his spikes in some way or another. How bothersome. It just made him want to get better and surpass his blocks.

"Matsushima Hiroyuki has been the star of this set for a while now! His game sense is very keen for someone who debuted a little over a year ago."

The anticipation was a nervous kind of energy. It tingled through (Y/N) like electrical sparks on the way to the ground, gathering in her toes. Before she knew it, she was staring longingly at Sakusa as he went up for another spike.

His form was graceful, almost perfect. It was mesmerizing, and sparks in (Y/N)'s eyes appeared every time he scored. Sometimes, she would even forget to breathe for a second. But it wasn't just his spike that always took her breath away, the essence of the man was in his entirety, beautiful.

She hadn't seen him for nearly six years, and she was struck anew by his new look. He had been appealing youth, tall, rather ungainly with people, and a thatch of black hair. But now the gangling figure had been smoothed and tailored by the success of his volleyball career.

Back to the match, Inarizaki was having a harder time against Itachiyama now that Sakusa revealed his true colours. They had always been wary of him, but he was somehow always a step ahead of them.

Eventually, Itachiyama won the third set after Iizuna performed a setter dump at the most critical and unexpected moment.

Itachiyama was two points ahead of Inarizaki, and an energy crushing rally was going down.

The sweat trickled down their back, free-flowing like condensation on a windowpane, it beaded on their forehead and dripped from their chin.

Sakusa glowered at the sweat that trickled down the side of his head.

His hair was saturated, and the salty drops ran into his mouth. His skin was as wet as if he's just pulled himself from a pool, yet there is no water around, and this was just the third set.

As Sakusa approached the net for a spike, he was caught off guard at the next second. Iizuna glanced at him but didn't actually toss the ball to him. It fooled Inarizaki's blockers into thinking he was going to set to him and jumped up for the block only to have Iizuna dump the ball.

Osamu scrunched his nose and reached for the ball after falling for the trick. Inarizaki's effort to save the ball was wasted as the sound of it bouncing against the floor resonated through the gym.

Matsushima tackled Iizuna into a hug, and the referee blew the whistle, concluding the third set with Itachiyama winning.

"M-Matsushima! I can't breathe!" Iizuna wheezed out and tried to wriggle out of Matsushima's bone-crushing hug.

Matsushima immediately let go of Iizuna and uttered a small "oops" before gently patting his back. As he walked away, Yoneda kicked his shin and scolded him for almost killing their setter.

"What will happen if you accidentally killed Iizuna?"

"We can always bring him back to life!"

"That- that's not how bringing the dead back to life works..."

While Matsushima and Yoneda debated over the dead, Sakusa was busy getting distracted by a certain someone.

In between breaks, all he could focus on was how (Y/N) praised him and the smile she would walk around with. It felt weird to suddenly feel captivated by something so small, but it was the complete opposite for Sakusa.

The smile was the prettiest thing he had seen in a while, for it extended to his eyes and deep into his soul. The way her lips lifted upwards, and the warm glow her happiness gave, her smile was a ray of sunshine, and he was a sunburn.

And her praises, sure he gets a lot of them but (Y/N)'s compliments were so much different. He only wanted to hear them from her. No one else could give him that feeling except for (Y/N). It was like magic infused with her words. It gave him the energy he never knew he had.

Sakusa's trance broke when he heard (Y/N) call his name repeatedly.

"Kiyo? Kiyo? Are you okay?"

She snapped her fingers near his face until he finally responded.

"I'm fine."

"Do you need to refill your water bottle?"

Sakusa didn't even notice his water bottle was empty until (Y/N) brought it up. Was he that dazed that he didn't even realize he was drinking from an empty bottle?

This was a strange experience he was having. He was lost in thoughts more than usual, and he didn't know why.

He handed his bottle to (Y/N), and the referee blew the whistle as the break was coming to an end.

**• • •**

2:1 / 27 - 25, 20 - 25, 25 - 22, **20 - 22**

Inarizaki was currently leading with two points. Itachiyama struggled with Inarizaki's ace, Aran, since the fourth set began. It was like receiving Ushijima's spikes, and at the moment, the back row was weaker.

Even with Komori, he wasn't always able to run across the court to receive the fast, powerful spikes. Matsushima and Shishido were trying their best, but Aran was just too strong.

Atsumu served a floater that Komori received and tossed it perfectly to Iizuna. Iizuna sets it to Yoneda, who faked spiking the ball and let Sakusa score from behind.

Itachiyama was slowly catching up, but they were still behind Inarizaki with a one-point gap.

Suna could feel the pressure of Matsushima's wall-like block. It felt like a giant steel wall towering above him every time he went up for a spike.

Sometimes, it would change to a block that was similar to an umbrella. Suna couldn't find an opening anywhere whenever Matsushima was at the front. Not even Suna's wide-ranged spike could penetrate Matsushima's steel wall.

The next rotation was favourable for Itachiyama as the back and front were perfectly balanced. Yoneda, Komori, and Sakusa were guarding the back while Iizuna, Matsushima, and Shishido were at the net.

With the perfect rotation, Itachiyama was able to score two points in a row, taking the lead of the fourth set, 23 - 22.

(Y/N) could hear Inarizaki's cheering team groan and complain about the turn of events.

"Are you serious?"

"What a turn of events..."

Their words were drowned out by the sound of Inarizaki's trumpets, drums, and cheers while the fourth set continued. Itachiyama retaliated by cheering and playing their drums, and instruments too. It was all (Y/N) could hear, she couldn't even hear her thoughts.

She held her hand over her chest and breathed out slowly after seeing the change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mind blank.  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	33. only her

After a long rally, Itachiyama was still in the lead, 25 to 24. Yoneda deeply apologized for losing the point after getting blocked by Suna.

He knew that there was a wall in front of him, but he still decided to risk losing the point by spiking the ball into it. It didn't work, of course.

Itachiyama subbed in their pinch server as the match became heated and spiralled out of control. They needed to slow down.

Hamada Yuji stepped onto the court after switching out with Matsushima. Taking a deep breath, he bounced the ball a few times before looking ahead. Who knew he, a first-year, would end up being Itachiyama's substitute setter and their pinch server.

"Who's that?"

"I've never seen him before. Is he new?"

Naturally, no one knew him. Itachiyama normally didn't need a pinch server to gain an advantage or to calm things down, but it was a crucial time for them, and they needed to substitute one in.

Throwing the ball into the air, he watched it slowly fall until it was in a perfect place to hit. A fast, incalculable floater was thrown at Inarizaki. It wasn't until last minute when Ginjima noticed that it wasn't going to go out, but instead, land exactly on the backline.

He scrambled and dived for the ball, barely keeping it in the air as it went haywire into the crowd. One point to Itachiyama, widening the gap by two.

Hamada closed his eyes and titled his head back. He never liked volleyball at the beginning. He only started playing because Shishido forced him to join their junior high team during their last year. But here he was now, still playing volleyball as he relished the newfound feeling of scoring an important point.

Maybe he should start taking it seriously.

"One more point!" (Y/N) loudly cheered out.

"Go!" The rest of the team joined in.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Shishido fumbling with his fingers and swing his arms around. Hamada knew those actions meant that he was nervous.

"Don't poop your pants."

"I'm not!" Shishido retorted and heaved out a long sigh.

Hamada served up another floater only to have it directly go to Inarizaki's libero. Before he knew it, the ball flashed before his eyes and flew past his shoulders. Aran had spiked it right between Hamada and Yoneda with such brute power that it might as well surpass Ushijima's strength.

Matsushima was sent back in and switched with Hamada. He ruffled Hamada's hair and gave him a cheery thumbs-up as he ran past him.

To Hamada, volleyball started to feel like a thrill. He got a buzz out of scoring an ace and a point. He questioned why his younger self didn't start playing volleyball earlier. He had been missing out on a lot.

_"Please! It's our last year! It won't hurt to join!" Shishido walked down the halls of their school with Hamada as he tried to convince him to join the volleyball team._

_"And what do I gain from it?" Hamada leisurely sipped on his milk._

_Shishido thought for a moment before clasping his hands together. It was a hard decision he had to make, but if it was going to convince his best friend to join, he didn't mind the consequences._

_"I'll buy you a month worth of yakitori!"_

_"Try again."_

_"THREE MONTHS!"_

_"Deal." Hamada shook hands with Shishido to declare their deal. His love for yakitori always won him over. It was the best way to have him agree to a negotiation._

_Shishido took out his wallet to see it empty. He was not going to survive the deal._

**• • •**

2:1 / 27 - 25, 20 - 25, 25 - 22, **29 - 29**

Sakusa spiked the ball off of Suna's hand, giving Inarizaki a free ball. For some reason, he felt like he needed a boost from something. Even though his school was chanting his name, it just didn't give him the enhancement he wanted.

"Keep it up, Kiyo!" (Y/N) cried out, seeing that his exhaustion was about to overthrow him.

He could feel the energy spark through his body. It felt like those words filled an unknown gap he didn't realize he had.

Her words fell through the air like confetti, their transient beauty drawing him closer. For a moment, he was unguarded. His brain paused, overcome with the power of what she said.

Everything was moving in slow motion. He could see the ball falter before him as Iizuna sets a slightly off ball from Komori's save.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see (Y/N) shooting something, even if her shouts couldn't reach most of the players on court. The arena was so rowdy, no one could tell what she was saying. She couldn't even hear herself.

What (Y/N) didn't realize, was that there was actually someone that actually heard everything she said.

Her voice could not overpower the crowd, but Sakusa liked it like that because no one else but himself can hear it.

It appeared as if the words were meant solely for him, and it was. The name that came out of her mouth was his name. It was a name that stuck with him ever since childhood.

Tuning out everyone else's voice, he could hear her say his name loud and clear. Whenever (Y/N) cheered his name, it would be like a melody of pure bliss. Only her cheers. No one else could match up.

The ball wavered in front of him. He had to hit it. With a snap of his wrist, the ball shot like a canon onto Inarizaki's court. A point to Itachiyama.

Just one more point and they would win.

"Would you look at that. Itachiyama only needs one more point before they win." Tendou narrowed his eyes and turned to look to his side.

"It would've been fun to play against Mujinazaka and Itachiyama. Blocking Kiryuu would've been exciting. Don't you think, Wakatoshi-kun?"

The lean, muscular man with olive-brown hair crossed his arms and kept his gaze on the game as Itachiyama continued to fight for the last point. "Yeah."

"Who do you think will win? Itachiyama or Inarizaki?" Tendou continued questioning Ushijima despite the latter's simplistic responses.

At this point, it was impossible to predict who was going to win. Itachiyama and Inarizaki were both impressive teams with strong players, anything could happen.

"I don't know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm experiencing semantic satiation for the word 'worst' and 'closet'  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	34. kronen

Her voice was the extra push he needed. Her smile was the coal that fueled and kept him going. Her presence was the base of it all. All those powered his exhausted figure.

"He's goin' left!" Atsumu shouted to Aran and Suna, jumping up for a three-man block.

The three towered above Shishido as he went up for a spike. He spiked it off Osamu's hand, which gave Inarizaki a free ball. He clicked his tongue and prepared to block with Matsushima.

"Shishi, go up straight." Matsushima patted his shoulder and jumped up to block Ginjima.

Ginjima ricocheted the ball off Shishido's hand, making it fly at full speed to the back. Komori scrambled to dive for the ball, keeping it in the air.

Iizuna sets the ball to Matsushima, who does a broad jump to the right and aimed the ball at Atsumu. Instead, Aran stepped in front of him and bumped it up.

The ball started falling directly over the net, earning a gasp from (Y/N). Matsushima and Suna jumped for the ball and initiated a joust.

Suna wrinkled his eyebrows as Matsushima started overpowering him and pushed the ball onto his side.

Luckily, Akagi was right behind to save it and kept it in the air. Atsumu sets the ball to Aran, who spiked it right where Komori was.

Komori sucked in his stomach and held his breath as he absorbed the power from Aran's spike, it was going to leave a mark on his arm for a few hours.

"Middle! Middle! He's comin' from the back!" Atsumu yelled out at the top of his lungs.

"Sakusa!"

"Three blockers!"

Behind Shishido, who faked the spike, came Sakusa, who got ready to spike the ball.

"Let's go, Kiyo!" (Y/N) cupped her mouth and screamed, trying to overpower the crowd.

She knew that she wasn't going to be louder than them and hoped that Sakusa could hear it anyways.

Actually, Sakusa did hear it and started to not feel the exhaustion anymore.

It was just what he needed. His heart smashed in his chest as his feet flew across the court.

He spiked the ball past the blockers as it brushed their fingers, letting it land right on the backline of Inarizaki's court before anyone could touch it. He watched the ball slammed against the court and rebounded back into the air.

The other side watched wide-eyed with their mouth agape as silence consumed them. The referee tweeted his whistle and made a cross sign with his arms.

Sakusa's feet hit the ground as he looked at the yellow digits of the clock that glared at him from their lofty perch.

**3:1 / 27 - 25, 20 - 25, 25 - 22, 31 - 29**

Itachiyama had won Interhigh Nationals.

The crowd went crazy and erupted in cheers while cameras clicked and flashed, capturing the moment of the new champions.

"There you have it! Itachiyama is this year's, Interhigh champions!"

"What a match! Inarizaki and Itachiyama sure did put up a pertinacious fight, but it looks like Itachiyama is emerging victorious this time!"

"They didn't even need to play a total of five sets to win!"

Atsumu and Osamu collapsed on the floor and stared at the ceiling.

"Well, doesn't this suck," Atsumu breathlessly says.

"Just means we need more training, Tsumu," Osamu replied, trying to wrap his mind around the loss. Time for a good meal to replenish the energy they had lost.

"I know! I'm going to train my ass off..."

"Yeah."

All the players from Itachiyama tackled Sakusa to the ground and wept tears of joy. There was no escaping from it.

"Sakusaaaa!" Matsushima choked out as tears filled his mouth.

"Oi, let go of me. Your germ-filled tears and mucus are touching me. This is disgusting." Sakusa seethed and pushed Matsushima off. All he could think about was (Y/N) and what she thought.

An invisible crown sat upon his head as a boat stuck on a stream in one place. It entangled in the roots of his hair like it was apart of him.

"You were the real MVP today!" Iizuna hovered his hand over Sakusa's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thanks..."

After swerving around the hugs, he found (Y/N) with her eyes welled with tears as it started running down her cheeks.

"Are you unhappy with the results?" Sakusa asked wearily and slowly walked up to her.

Her lips formed a great, big smile, and she brushed off the tears that gathered in her now glimmering eyes.

"No silly, why would I be unhappy? You just won Nationals! These are tears of joy!"

Sakusa released a sigh of relief that he didn't realize he had held in.

"You did amazing, Kiyo! You went WHOOSH and then BAM! It looks like I missed out on a lot over the past six years, huh..."

It was exactly what Sakusa wanted to hear. Waves of happiness and relief washed over him, and he felt it soak right into his bones. Dizzy with exaltation, he closed his eyes and savoured the felicity that fizzled in his heart.

**• • •**

"And now, I present this award to the victors. In the boy's division, Tokyo Prefectural, Itachiyama Academy. Concluding the Interhigh National High School Volleyball Tournament, your team has emerged victorious."

Words couldn't describe how proud (Y/N) was of the boys. She buzzed in happiness. All the practice and preparation lead up to this. They definitely deserved it.

"I present you this award in acknowledgement of your commendable performance."

Iizuna stepped up and courteously accepted the certificate before bowing as Yoneda held the trophy.

"To praise both teams for their good match and all the teams for their marvellous performance, I'd like to ask the audience to give them another big round of applause."

Everyone started to applaud loudly for all the teams as some whistled and shouted their school's name. (Y/N) clapped especially loud for her team. She wanted to show how extremely pleased she was with them.

"We will now start awarding the individual players of each section. Awards are given to the best six players, and thirty outstanding players and two outstanding liberos."

Sakusa remained stoic on the outside but deep inside, his heart was bursting with pride and his spirits were flying high. He had already gotten the award he wanted.

"In the boy's division, best scorer, Sakusa Kiyoomi from Itachiyama Academy."

The crowd erupted in more cheers as he walked towards the podium to accept his award. After accepting it, another wave of cheers engulfed the stadium as he turned around to face them.

But instead of looking at the crowd, he immediately looked at (Y/N) who gave him a thumbs-up and mouthed a 'congratulations.'

It made his mouth twitch as he fought a smile.

"Next, best setter, Miya Atsumu from Inarizaki High School."

Whoops and whistles echoed through the stadium while Atsumu walked up to the podium. While walking back, he stuck his tongue out at Osamu, who tried his best not to smack him right there and then.

The rest of the best six players' awards continued until it reached the best libero, which (Y/N) already knew who was going to receive it.

"Last but not least, best libero, Komori Motoya from Itachiyama."

Komori smiled and waved gleefully while stepping onto the podium to accept his award. He deeply bowed and held his award before turning around to face the crowd and bowed again.

_"Knew it."_ (Y/N)'s hand was stinging from clapping so hard, but she didn't mind. It was all worth it when it came to this.

"Now presenting the thirty outstanding players and two outstanding liberos. Bokuto Koutarou from Fukurodani Academy..."

(Y/N) could hear a distant but loud "hey, hey, hey" among the sea of teams and quietly giggle to herself.

"...Ushijima Wakatoshi from Shiratorizawa-"

Loud shouts of his name filled the crowd.

"Waka-kun!"

"Ushiwaka-san!"

"Ushijima!"

Carrying on with the ceremony, the next few names made (Y/N) continue clapping her already burning hands.

"-Matsushima Hiroyuki from Itachiyama, Yoneda Kou from Itachiyama..."

Matsushima fist-bumped Yoneda and smiled merrily as they walked towards the podium together.

**• • •**

Sakusa walked alongside (Y/N) as she started gathering their belongings. Being the germ-free freak he was, Sakusa was already changed before anyone else could step inside the changeroom.

"Itachiyama is gonna go down the next time we go against each other."

Atsumu approached them and rested his hands on his hip.

"Is the loser still tryin' to look cool?" Osamu deadpanned and stopped beside Atsumu.

"Shut it!"

They walked away without another word as they were too busy kicking each other.

"Uh... What was that..." (Y/N) raised an eyebrow and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Two nut heads fighting," Sakusa grumbled and started walking ahead.

"I see."

The crowd dispersed, and the TV crews started cleaning up as Sakusa and (Y/N) walked towards the front of the arena where they were supposed to meet up.

"Congratulations on your win, Sakusa-san, (Y/N)-san."

(Y/N) instantly recognized the voice and whipped her head around to see Akaashi and Bokuto walking (running for Bokuto) up to them.

"Hey, hey, hey! (L/N)-chan!" Bokuto enthusiastically greeted and puffed out his chest.

"Oh, Keiji-san, Bokuto, it's good to see you guys again!" She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before waving.

"GaAah! We could've won that cool trophy too, AKAasAaSHi!"

"Please calm down, Bokuto-san. We are here to congratulate them," Akaashi calmly says.

"Thank you!" (Y/N) nudged Sakusa with her elbow while keeping her gaze on Akaashi and Bokuto.

"Yeah, thanks..." Sakusa muttered out.

"We should get going now. We just wanted to congratulate you before we go to dinner."

"Dinner?!" Bokuto's ears perked at Akaashi's words as drool started to escape his mouth. "Food! Meat! Dinner!"

He couldn't contain his excitement and started to hop ahead as Akaashi waved goodbye to Sakusa and (Y/N).

(Y/N) snapped her fingers in realization. "Oh! I almost forgot that coach is treating us for dinner!"

"I'm too tired to eat..." Sakusa groaned and nestled his neck back into his jacket.

"You need food to get your energy back!"

"...fine."

The continued walking until they ended up bumping into Ushijima and Tendou, literally.

(Y/N) wasn't paying attention and ended up smacking her head into Ushijima's broad chest. It felt like she just smashed her head through a metal door.

"Congratulations, Sakusa." Ushijima's deep voice resonated through (Y/N)'s ears. "Next time, we'll be the one winning Nationals."

"I'll be looking forward to going against you," Sakusa confidently replied.

"Yeah."

"(Y/N), (Y/N)! Did you hear? A new season of (anime name) is coming out next month!" Tendou appeared from behind Ushijima.

"Really? I can't wait!"

"They said..."

Tendou and (Y/N) continued their conversation about anime as Ushijima and Sakusa awkwardly listened in, having no clue what they were talking about.

"I'll see you at Spring High then," Sakusa says while turning away.

"Yeah, be prepared if we ever go against your team. We're not going to lose." Ushijima also turned away as Tendou began wrapping up his conversation with (Y/N).

"We're always prepared."

**• • •**

There were days the tiredness comes in both forms, physical and mental. Right now, it was one of them. Everyone was slumped in their seat as they waited for their dishes to be served. Words couldn't describe how exhausted they were.

Matsushima drifted into consciousness, and then back out. He jerked awake when he smelled the food arriving at their table. "Food!"

"What are you? A dog?" Sakusa grimaced while (Y/N) giggled at the act.

Komori snored away, passed out on the table. He didn't even care if it was uncomfortable or loud. He just wanted to sleep.

"Your drool is getting on the table," Sakusa clicked his tongue and prepared to walk away from the table. "I don't want to eat anymore."

"No! You have to eat to gain energy!" (Y/N) pulled him back and pestered him until he reluctantly joined.

After dinner, Itachiyama was on the bus for the night journey back to Tokyo.

The silence was like a gaping void, needing to be filled with sounds, words, anything. It lingered in the air, thick and heavy, like a blanket. The only sound that could be heard was the soft breathing and snores from everyone.

(Y/N) was the only one awake, reading her book while everyone else was passed out and sleeping like a log. Even Sakusa was buried in sleep.

The sleep pooled on his eyelids as he breathed softly into his mask. The pain in his eyes stopped and (Y/N) could see a small smile form on his face even with the mask in the way. A feeling told her that there was a smile under there.

Her eyes were steady to the horizon, face aglow with the last orange rays before twilight beckoned the stars.

She was so grateful to be apart of the team. Itachiyama was like (Y/N)'s second family. She wouldn't trade them for the world.

Interhigh was now over, and Spring High was coming up. Time had gone by so quickly. Before she knew it, four months had passed since she came back from America, and in another six months, Spring High was going to happen.

Their time together may have gone by fast, but it was far from over.

_*Click*_

(Y/N) mischievously grinned at the rare photo she took of Sakusa. It's not everyday you would see a sleeping Sakusa and live after taking a picture.

He was not going to be happy once he found out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't you ever have that moment at night when you think about how Haikyuu is going to end in like a few weeks and start feeling sad
> 
> i'm not ready to see grown up Hinata and everyone else get animated but at the same time, i can't wait to see it happen ಥ_ಥ  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	35. dry flower

The celebration after Itachiyama's win at Interhigh was short-lived. Exhaustion prevailed over everyone, so they decided that the best way to commemorate their hard work was to rest instead.

After a long hard week at work, nothing was better than a good night's sleep and two days off.

A smile eternally stained (Y/N)'s lip as she walked with a spring in her step along the dry road. Nothing could ruin her day. She was on her way to the Sakusa family's residence to deliver pastries her mom had made.

The sweet, savoury aroma wafted through the fresh summer air. Her stomach clenched with hunger at the thought of sweet, melon pans.

The sky was awash with various shades of grey in places a chink of light managed to break through, but otherwise, it was almost as dark as pre-dawn. The air was humid and smelt of storms.

(Y/N) eyed the sky nervously, the clouds that had been wispy and white that morning were now darker and denser. She quickened her pace. Today was not the day to be caught in a downpour.

As she turned the corner, her luck for the day depleted as she was caught in the sudden downpour. Just great.

The clouds above her oozed and billowed across the awakening sun, casting the meadow into shadowy darkness. A jagged bolt of lightning ripped the sky in half, and she began to run, wincing as each icy raindrop pierced her skin. Her posture was now weakened by the weight of her soaked clothes.

Shielding the basket full of pastries with her body from the cloudburst, she continued running to where the Sakusa family resided.

Out of breath and drenched, she finally arrived at their doorstep with the basket full of pastries that were hopefully dry.

"(Y/N)-chan? It's been a long time! How are you? How much you've grown-"

The door opened, revealing Sakusa's mother, who eyed (Y/N)'s drenched figure concerningly and the sky before ushering her in.

"Quickly, come in before you catch a cold!"

It was one of those rare days when Sakusa's mother was not working, and (Y/N) just so happened to be there and able to see her again during her delivery.

She hurried into the house as Sakusa's mother closed the door behind her. A puddle of water formed under her, and she was quick to apologize to Sakusa's mother for the mess.

"It's all right, this can be cleaned up, but look at you! You're soaked!"

Droplets of water drenched her hair, skin, and clothes. They fell off one by one onto the floor, while she realized how her clothes clenched to her skin. She didn't care for her clothes as much, all she could think about was-

"The pastries!" (Y/N) blurted out and immediately went to check on them. Her eyes brightened, and she held a hand over her chest once she saw that they were all dry.

"Who's at the door- oh, (Y/N)." Sakusa emerged from the living room and looked her up and down before scrunching his nose. "You're dripping water all over the floor."

"Kiyoomi!" His mother snapped. "We can clean that up later. For now, let's get (Y/N)-chan cleaned up and dried first. She needs a fresh set of clothes and a shower."

"How is she going to get a fresh set of clothes when it's pouring outside?"

"She can borrow yours."

Sakusa stiffened, and his mouth dropped while his eyebrows knitted at the statement. "My clothes?! Why my clothes?"

His mother furrowed her eyebrows back. "We can't have her wear my clothes. It would be impolite as a host. Your clothes will probably fit her better too. Don't tell me you expect her to stay in those wet clothes."

"But-"

"No buts. Just go get them quickly."

Sakusa grumbled something inaudible but went ahead to get (Y/N) some clean clothes from his wardrobe.

Sakusa's mother showed her where the bathroom was and left to do some cleaning, leaving (Y/N) as she dripped water onto the tiles while waiting for her fresh change of clothes.

"Your clothes."

Sakusa appeared and handed her a pile of his clean clothes.

"I'm sorry, Kiyo..." (Y/N) bowed her head as Sakusa placed his hand on the back of his neck.

"It's fine, just take a shower already."

As Sakusa walked away, all he could think about was how (Y/N)'s wet clothes clenched to her skin. He shook his head, trying to dismiss the weird thoughts.

Meanwhile, (Y/N) had stripped down and stepped slowly into the shower, turning the water on high and letting it beat over her head in steamy rivulets. Closing her eyes to the water as the heat soaked into her skin, it felt so much better.

After getting out of the shower and dried, she put on the clothes Sakusa gave her, which consisted of a simple black t-shirt and grey sweatpants.

While doing that, she couldn't help but notice how ironic the scent was. She breathed in the fragrance, instantly recognizing the laundry detergent as Attack.

As expected from the clean freak, using the number one brand of laundry detergent in Japan. Other scents intermingled with the powerful freshness, which included a hint of lavender and rosewood.

(Y/N) could feel the heat growing in her cheeks. She was analyzing the clothes too much.

Steam followed her out as she made her way out of the bathroom. Looking out the window, she saw that the storm was still raging on.

Lightning lit the skies in brilliant streaks. Fog embraced every tree and every square centimetre of ground. The house shook, and lights flickered as the high winds howled outside in the heavy downpour that dragged all the tree's branches down.

She also noticed how Sakusa's older siblings weren't around. Probably because they already moved out.

"(Y/N)-chan, make yourself at home while I prepare you some tea." Sakusa's mother called out from the kitchen.

(Y/N) did as she said and sat on the couch, still watching the trees dance outside. Sakusa's mother smiled as she sets down a cup of sobacha tea onto the coffee table. The sound of the glass clinking together made (Y/N) snap out of her daze and turn to look at Sakusa's mother.

"I called your parents already. The storm is too dangerous for you to go out in, and it's undetermined when it'll stop. You'll be staying with us until the storm calms down."

"O-Oh. Thank you very much for letting me stay."

(Y/N) heard the door open and turned around to see Sakusa coming out, fresh out of the shower. The water softly dripped down his hair and chin as he used a towel to rub dry his hair. His wavy black locks was slightly messed up and hung unkempt in front of his face, a rare sight from his well kept, parted hair. It made (Y/N) spit her tea back into her cup.

"You're staring," Sakusa says, making (Y/N) whip her head around with a hot blush.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you were."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Sakusa sighed. There wasn't going to be an end to that unless he stopped. "Fine, think what you want."

(Y/N) cocked her head to the side when she realized they were wearing the same outfit. "We have the same outfit? Don't tell me you only have this in your wardrobe as sleepwear..."

"So what? It's comfortable..."

Sakusa also sported a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, though (Y/N) had to admit, he looked better in it than her as it was quite baggy and loose. The t-shirt acted like a sleeved shirt that was too small for her, and the pants were just too long in general.

"Ah, Kiyoomi, you're finished showering." Sakusa's mother came out of the kitchen while wiping her hand with a cloth. "(Y/N)-chan's going to be staying over for the night."

"That's all right," Sakusa casually replied.

"Now for where she'll sleep... She can sleep in your room."

Sakusa abruptly stood up from his seat and raised an eyebrow. "My room? Why?"

"Kiyoomi, you know this. We can't have guests sleeping on the couch. Anyways, it's just this once. It'll be like a sleepover when you were younger."

"But we're not kids anymore. Don't you think (Y/N) will be uncomfortable sleeping in the same room as me?"

"Are you saying that you're going to do something to her?" His mother suggestively raised her eyebrows.

"W-What? No."

"Then it's decided. (Y/N)-chan will be sleeping in your room."

And with that, his mother left the room. Sakusa pinched the bridge of his nose before turning to face (Y/N).

"It's alright if I sleep on the couch." (Y/N) shrugged and thinly smiled.

"It's fine. You can sleep in my room."

The night rolled in, and neither of them was willing to sleep on the floor. So they both decided to compromise and share a bed.

Sakusa showed her to his room, and as they stepped in, (Y/N) noticed how clean and tidy it was. The bunk bed now replaced by one double-sized bed, and the room now painted a different colour.

"Wow."

**• • •**

It was 2:00 AM, and Sakusa was still wide awake. They were both sleeping on their side, back to back, and so far apart that another person might be able to sleep in between them.

Sakusa was literally hanging off the ledge of the bed, which was pretty uncomfortable and making him unable to sleep. But that wasn't the only factor that made him unable to sleep.

The fact that he was sleeping right beside (Y/N) just a few inches apart made him stay awake. How did he manage that?

A blush seared through his cheeks, and for a minute, he thought his face was on fire. He suddenly felt awkward and demure.

Good thing they didn't have school the next day or he would've been screwed.

Usually, he would've been asleep by 10:00 PM, but now, he was four hours past that. He peaked over his shoulder to see (Y/N) softly snoring away with one of her arms off the bed. He couldn't believe how she could sleep so soundly in this situation.

Sakusa softly sighed to himself and glanced at the clock that stared right back at him. 2:05 AM.

Why was he feeling so anxious that (Y/N) was sleeping right beside him? When they were younger, they did it all the time.

But they were older now. It wasn't the same anymore.

**• • •**

The world was as silent as if it ended in the night. The sun was still resolutely below the horizon, and the street was as dark as some old-school black and white movie.

Sakusa squinted his eye at the alarm clock. 5:00 AM. That was it. He was going to get up.

The house was as quiet as the dawn when Sakusa went to the bathroom to clean himself up. He looked into the mirror to see dark circles residing right below his eyes and very tangled hair. What he needed was a satisfying, steamy shower.

When (Y/N) woke up, it was 6:30 AM. She opened her eyes to see the other side of the bed empty. Sakusa must've been awake already.

As she got off the bed, she could hear the door to the bathroom open and someone grumbling something inaudible. She walked out of the room to see Sakusa grumpily walking out the bathroom with a comb stuck in his hair.

"Ha ha ha!" (Y/N) wiped away a tear that formed in one of her eyes. "How did that happen?"

"Can you... Help me get this out..." Sakusa reluctantly grumbled out and placed his hand over his mouth while glancing away as (Y/N) giggled away.

"Sure."

Sakusa sat down on the bed while (Y/N) tried carefully to pull the comb out.

"Be careful with my hair."

"Relax! I'm not going to tear it off." (Y/N) laughed and continued trying to take the comb out of his hair.

That was one way to start the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was delicious  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	36. moon of dawn

"Don't you think this dress is too skimpy?" (Y/N) asked her mom as she walked down the stairs.

They were going to attend a wedding that (Y/N)'s mom had been invited to by one of her old high school friends, and (Y/N) was required to wear something decent. Reluctantly, she wore a dress that her mom picked out for her.

The dress covered her shoulders only barely with two spaghetti straps and flowed down into a beautiful court neckline. It's a relaxed fit, which makes the dress look comfortable, yet elegant and stylish. Her arms had been left uncovered. A choice that added to the elegance and grace of the dress.

A small, elegant belt helped accentuate her waist without being too much. Below the waist, the dress fitted snug around her ashe dress as it reached just above her knees.

"Stop complaining, or we'll be late," Her mom snapped back.

Instead of a traditional Shinto-style wedding, (Y/N)'s family was invited to a more westernized one since the bride was inspired by the culture.

The room buzzed with excited chatter, and children ran between the tables in a good-natured game of tag. The banquet hall was exquisite and spacious. The walls were covered with a shimmering gold paper, and in the middle of the ceiling was an elegant chandelier.

Many round tables and chairs filled the space up with the polished silver cutlery that was heavy to the hand and shone brightly in the dazzling chandelier light. At each place stood a tall empty wine glass, and there were beautifully folded napkins to match the runner. All that was missing was the food and the guests.

"Chisato!" Someone called out from behind (Y/N)'s family. It was Sakusa's mother.

"Izanami! It's good to see you again!" (Y/N)'s mom greeted as Sakusa's mother walked up to her.

"(Y/N)-chan, that dress looks beautiful on you!" She gasped out.

"Thank you!" (Y/N) looked around the room as if she was looking for something, no, someone.

"Did Kiyo come?"

"That boy," Sakusa's mother sighed and shook her head. "He should be greeting everyone, but instead, he's sulking in the corner."

"Sounds like him. Thank you for telling me!" (Y/N) gave a slight bow before heading to the nearest corner of the massive room.

It wasn't even a short walk before she spotted Sakusa sulking in the corner, away from the crowd. His hands were gloved and clasped together while he wore his signature mask.

Sakusa was wearing a smooth shirt to support the elegant tie he was wearing. The jacket was a solid black colour instead of patterned, which gave the suit a classy and graceful look.

The jacket was the same length all around, with a vent at the back. There was a pocket on either side, and there was a breast pocket on the left, which held a handkerchief.

It gave him a completely different look from his usual tracksuit. It made him look more sophisticated and classy. Not that he wasn't sophisticated, but with his outfit, it left a stronger impression.

"Kiyo!" (Y/N) waved and picked up her pace.

"(Y/N). Hey," Sakusa muttered out as she neared him.

"You agreed to come?"

Sakusa avoided (Y/N) gaze and, instead, looked at her white flats before muttering out his answer. "They threatened to take cleaning products if I didn't come."

"Oh. That's an interesting way to get someone to compromise."

There was a short moment of silence between the two, and Sakusa decided to say something to break the silence.

"You look nice in that dress."

_"Well done, Kiyoomi. What a compliment. She probably thinks you're weird now."_

"Thanks! Your suit's not half-bad too." (Y/N) faintly smiled back.

_"Half-bad? What a half-assed compliment, (Y/N). You can do better."_

Their conversation was interrupted by a girl and her friend who approached them while whispering to each other.

"Umm," the girl madly blushed and averted her gaze from Sakusa. "I was wondering if I could get your number. You seem like a great person, and I'd like to get to know you!"

_"Even she can do better than you."_ (Y/N) thought. Though, a ting of annoyance flared in her when the girl asked for Sakusa's number for some reason.

"No," Sakusa bluntly says without a second thought.

"But-"

"I'm not interested."

The girl's smile slowly slumped along with her shoulder as she walked away with her friend, who wrapped her arms around her shoulder in comfort.

(Y/N) could hear the girl's friend loudly whisper to the dejected girl. "Told you, he was taken by that girl. You're way too good for him anyway."

A slight frown formed on (Y/N)'s face, and she turned to look at Sakusa, who remained stoic even after flat out rejecting someone.

"Why did you reject her? She seemed nice."

"I wasn't interested," Sakusa says while covering his mouth with his gloved hand.

"Are you sure?"

"I- I'm interested in someone else..." He mumbled into his hand and turned his head to the side.

(Y/N)'s eyes widened, and her pulse quickened. For some reason, she could also feel her stomach sink when he said those words.

A feeling pushed against her like an invisible gale, attempting to reverse her steps back to her bed. It had her stomach locked up tight, nothing getting in or out, and sets her face like rigour mortis, her teeth locked tight together.

But even so, she forced a smile upon her face.

"Oh, is that so? Tell me who it is~~"

"I can't say."

At this point, Sakusa was so flustered that turning his head to the side to avert (Y/N)'s gaze wasn't enough to hide his face since the sudden rosiness of his cheeks gave him away.

"L-Let's just goes back. The wedding is starting." Sakusa offered (Y/N) an outstretched gloved hand while still averting his gaze.

"What are you doing, Kiyo?" (Y/N) tilted her head and confusedly eyed the outstretched hand.

"Apparently, I have to be a gentlemen, or I won't get my stuff back..." His words trailed off at the end. "Just take my hand already."

(Y/N) faintly smirked and placed her hands in his grasp as they (begrudgingly) walked back to the main gathering.

**• • •**

The flowers entwined between her fingers holding fast in her hand. As the bride entered the venue, the light reflected from the crimson bouquet made her look dazzling in the spotlight. Her face shone with excitement as she threw the flowers above the crowd of ladies, all ready for the catch.

"It's coming to me!"

"No, me!"

"Ahhhh, it's going to be mine!"

(Y/N) was casually watching the commotion and drinking her soup, not wanting to be part of it, when suddenly the bouquet landed onto her face with a smack and into her bowl.

"Ow! I wasn't even trying to catch it! And are you serious? Right into my soup?" She groaned out and grabbed a nearby napkin to wipe her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i read daytime shooting star and i stan Shishio ( ꈍᴗꈍ)  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	37. polaris

And so the autumn arrived with a buoyant lack of subtly. It came with regal ease, content to arrive with slow grace. Though, the first leaves have tumbled to the soil so abundant with rain, most remain green, fluttering in the strengthening wind.

The trees are laughing once more, dressed in their carnival clothes, the gold and scarlet of the autumn days. They played about the earthy hues of the branch and trunk, proud flags in any sky.

The train platform was filled with students in their second-year from Itachiyama. Everyone was waiting for the bullet train to arrive for their trip to Hokkaido, a special school trip for the second-years only.

"Did Kiyo just disappear?" (Y/N) squeezed through the students to find Komori.

"Probably hiding from the crowd." Komori casually shrugged. "Don't worry. He'll be fine, one way or another."

A burst of wind flew through (Y/N)'s hair as the train halted to a stop. That's the bullet train for you. Hitting the speed of up to 200 kilometres (125 miles) per hour, it can get you from Tokyo to Sapporo, Hokkaido in under eight hours.

"It's here!"

Komori and (Y/N) eagerly walked into the train and, after putting their stuff away, started searching for their seat.

"There you are! Sakusa!" Komori happily pointed out as Sakusa approached the two from behind.

"I should've just stayed home," Sakusa mumbled through his mask while closely inspecting the seats.

"But it's not every day you get to go to Hokkaido!" (Y/N) says, and spun her seat around until she got slightly dizzy. "Look! The seats can move!"

After spraying some kind of disinfectant and laying a cloth to prevent Sakusa from directly touching the seat, he took his seat in front of (Y/N) but spun it around so that it faced her.

"This is so cool! The train's starting to move!" Komori squashed his face against the window with (Y/N).

Sakusa grimaced at the two. They were spreading germs from the window onto their face, the horrors. He turned away from the two and pulled on a sleeping mask over his eyes. If possible, he was going to sleep the whole way there.

"Hey, hey, Komori, wanna play koi-koi?" (Y/N) took out a stack of hanafuda cards and placed them on the table in between Komori and herself.

"Sure thing!"

**• • •**

Sakusa jolted awake after hearing a scream tear through his sleep. He quietly groaned to himself before pulling down his sleeping mask.

"No! Not again!" (Y/N) threw the cards down on the table and ran her hands through her hair.

"Aha! I win again!" Komori smugly smirked and threw down his cards.

"Did you have to scream?" Sakusa grumbled out.

"Sorry, Kiyo."

"It's time for lunch!" Komori says after checking his phone and went to take out his bento box. Four hours had only passed since they left Tokyo, and it was now noon.

"Mmph, I challenge you to koi-koi!" (Y/N) pointed at Sakusa and harshly swallowed her food.

"Don't point, that's rude. Just finish your food first," Sakusa says, dismissing her invite to koi-koi.

After (Y/N) persistently asked Sakusa to play, he finally gave in. He had no clue how to play or what the rules were, so (Y/N) slowly explained to rules to him. She thought she could finally win a game of koi-koi, only to be easily beaten by Sakusa, who was new to the game.

"What?! How-" (Y/N) stuttered at the sight in front of her.

Sakusa threw the cards down. "I win."

Komori burst out in laughter at the turn of events. "Is your luck that bad, (Y/N)?"

"Maybe it is..."

**• • •**

At 4:00 PM, they successfully arrived at the station in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido.

The weather in Sapporo was much different compared to Tokyo. As newly chilled air moved the clouds, streaks of brilliance broke through from a patient sun. (Y/N) lets her eyes rest for a moment, feeling the ambiance of the station, hearing the sounds, taking in the aroma, and letting her brain be still.

Everyone filed into a bus where it would take them to their hotel to drop their stuff off first.

(Y/N) watched as falling leaves bid farewell to sweet summer and beckoned the autumn. They are a myriad of shapes and sizes, these leaves that clothed the trees. Now they are discarded like last seasons fashions and left to become part of the soil.

As (Y/N) walked through the doors of the hotel where everyone scrambled to put their stuff away, she took her time to look around.

She looked at the piece of paper that displayed her room number and her roommate's name.

"Okane Rei..."

Opening the door to her room, she walked in to see a young lady lying in one of the beds that were present.

Her eyes were closed, and she had her earbuds in, not noticing (Y/N) who had just walked in.

"Um, are you Okane Rei?" (Y/N) looked at the card once more before realizing that the girl had disappeared from the bed.

"Sure," Okane coldly grumbled out while walking brushing past (Y/N) without a glance. (Y/N) didn't even notice she had left the bed. It was so quiet like a mouse looking for food.

Even so, she couldn't help but feel that her roommate hated her at first sight.

"I think my roommate hates me." (Y/N) dejectedly explained to Komori.

"Don't worry! Maybe she's just moody and tired from the train ride," Komori laughed and tried reassuringly patting her back.

"Easy for you to say, you're lucky to be with Kiyo."

"It's not lucky," Sakusa interjected, making Komori gloom.

"That hurts, man..."

Everyone was allowed to explore the city or stay in the hotel for the remainder of the time before dinner, which was at six. (Y/N), Sakusa and Komori decided to explore the city since they wouldn't be given another chance to visit Sapporo anytime soon.

The only problem was the rain.

Outside was an unexpected gift of rain. The wet season didn't generally start for another fortnight, but the skies didn't lie. It wasn't a mean rain either, the type that got everyone wet without filling the rain barrels. It was the type that got the streams running with pristine water from the mountains.

(Y/N) stood at the entrance of the hotel, her arms folded in discontent.

"How are we going to go out in this weather?" She grumbled out. She was looking forward to exploring the city only to be ruined by the rainy weather.

"I have an umbrella," Sakusa says and pulled an umbrella out of his backpack. Good thing, he was always prepared. "But it can only fit two people."

Komori and (Y/N) looked at each other. Who was going to get soaked, and who was going to stay dry?

"Wait! I have an idea!" Komori told them to wait for him as he ran back into the hotel. Sakusa and (Y/N) furrowed their brows. What was he planning to do?

A few minutes later, Komori came back with a giant, black trash bag with three holes cut out.

"I can use this as a raincoat!" He easily slipped it on and beamed at the two. "Smart, right?"

(Y/N) tried her hardest to stifle a laugh that threatened to burst, while Sakusa frowned at Komori, not pleased.

"That's gross. You know you can just ask the front desk to borrow one."

Komori froze, and his bright smile turned into a thin one. (Y/N) couldn't take it anymore and burst out in laughter. "Hahahaha!"

"That's... Smarter..." Komori sighed and took off his trash bag, and went to ask the front desk for a temporary umbrella.

Sakusa's broad shoulder brushed (Y/N)'s figure as they walked down the wet streets. He placed a hand over his masked mouth and lowered his gaze, away from (Y/N).

_"Too close..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eaJ - Pacman is *chef kiss* i've been listening to it for an unholy amount of times  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	38. sea of clouds

At 6:00 AM, the hotel was already hustling and bustling as students scrambled around to get their stuff before their three hours trip to Daisetsuzan National Park.

As (Y/N) waked, her mind swam with a departing dream; she sighed, reluctant to banish it and begin her day. The light of early morning shined into her slowly opening eyes, and she brought her hands to guard them.

Everything about her felt heavy from her arms to her feet. She let her head loll from one side to the other, eyes closing one more time as she enjoys the brief darkness.

Immediately upon the bus halting to a stop, (Y/N) finally woke up from the darkness that consumed her. It was 9:00 AM when they arrive at the mountain-filled park, with some still dozing away.

The frigid air penetrated her skin, chilling her blood, sinking into the marrow of her bones like wet concrete.

From the corner of Sakusa's eyes, he could see (Y/N)'s teeth chattering and wrapping her arms around her figure as she had only brought a thin coat for the trip, not expecting it to be that cold during early autumn.

Sakusa softly sighed. "You're so unprepared."

(Y/N) whipped her head around. "Wha-"

Her sentence was interrupted when Sakusa took off his scarf and wrapped it twice around her neck. The warmth of the snug scarf around her neck took (Y/N) by surprise. The frigid cold couldn't penetrate the barrier of wool and fabric.

"You... Don't need it?" She asked while snuggling the scarf.

"I knew this would happen. That's why I brought an extra one." Sakusa took out his dim green scarf from his backpack and wrapped it around his neck.

"Are you sure?"

"It's fine. You're going to freeze without it, anyways."

For a moment, Sakusa's brain stuttered, and he was speechless when he saw how snug his scarf fitted around (Y/N)'s neck. Good thing he had his mask on or people, especially (Y/N), would've seen his extremely rosy cheeks.

**• • •**

The brilliant shafts of sunlight caressed the carpet of reds and golds before her, laid out like a carpet for a royal. Each breath of the fresh air filled her with a sense of life that almost made her want to shout out loud. Just to hear her voice echo amidst the trees - like a brave warrior of old.

When the wind blew, they came down, breaking delicately off of tree branches and fluttering down to earth like a colourful rain. The leaves in the wind are like sails without boats, carefree and joyful.

The autumn breeze tousled (Y/N)'s hair and pinked her cheeks. The warmth that had been in the wind just last week had either evaporated into the sky or leached into the earth.

Though, for some reason, (Y/N) couldn't help but have mixed feelings about walking on the trail. She felt her heart twist and sink with her nerves as she walked down the rocky path with her group. The dread was an invisible demon sitting heavy on her shoulders, and only she could hear the sharpening of its knives. She sweated and became pale, then the tremor in her hands begins.

But at the same time, she felt pumped, excited, more alive than she had ever thought possible. She was going to climb a mountain! She never got the chance to do that before in America, so it made sense that she was excited to climb it.

The world was quite astonishing. When (Y/N) first peeked over the horizon and saw nature without the haze of discontent. Without any filter, with the naked eye and the brain open to the beauty of this reality, amazement came.

It was the complete opposite to her dread that kept hanging on, despite feeling elated. (Y/N) determined that she should just ignore the apprehension and focus on the more positive part of the trail.

"Incredible! That's so pretty!" She slowly walked behind her group and took out her phone to take photos of the vibrant spectacle.

"Hurry up (Y/N)! You don't want to be left behind!" Komori called out while climbing up the steep, lengthy stairs that led to the top of the mountain.

"I will!"

(Y/N) stopped halfway up the stairs to appreciate the scenery. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

The mountain's natural stairs were loose rocks. Each one washed smooth by the river that once ran freely over them. (Y/N) braced her feet, attempting to guard against the inevitable rolling in random directions, but her ankles tumbled left and right regardless.

A mountain laid in the distance like a ridiculous green camel hump or perhaps the nose of a slumbering giant turned to rock. (Y/N) held out her hands to make a "picture frame." It fitted right in, a perfect photograph, even if it was just the tip. The tip slightly peeked out of the sea of clouds; it swirled around her and filled the ocean-like sky with its fluffiness.

Suddenly, she felt a hard shove from her side, not knowing who since the world rushed by in a blur, and she knew the pain was coming. It went by fast, yet slow, almost suspended. Her perception of time distorted, everything slowed down until there was nothing, only her and the sky above, the blue, that seemed to swallow her whole.

The last thing she saw was the world tilting sideways and a shadowy figure before being consumed by cold darkness.

**• • •**

"(Y/N)...?"

"What's wrong, Sakusa?" Komori asked as Sakusa gazed at the path behind him for an abnormal amount of time.

"She's not behind us."

There was no one behind him.

Meanwhile, Okane had finally caught up with the group and heaved out a long, heavy sigh. She looked up from her phone and watched stolidity as Sakusa continued scanning the surroundings, not noticing her presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i never had any romantic experiences but here i am writing a romance book  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	39. lionheart

Komori frowned. "That's true. I didn't see her walk ahead of us either. Do you think she's alright?"

Sakusa's nerves frayed to the quick. The fear thoughts looped around in his mind until there was no room for anything else. There was an uneasy feeling in his gut that told him something horrible happened to (Y/N). The dread crept over him like an icy chill, numbing his brain.

There was no time for his mind to freeze. He had to think fast.

"Inform the teachers that (Y/N) is missing," Sakusa slowly breathed out.

"How about you?" Komori sputtered out and frantically waved his arms around. He was also worried for (Y/N)'s wellbeing.

"I'm going to look for her."

"But the start of the trail is at least three hours from here! Maybe we should just let the teachers handle this! And you might get lost yourself!"

Sakusa pulled down his mask and looked at Komori straight in the eyes. "That's why I'm going to look for her. By the time we inform the teachers and find help, anything could happen to (Y/N)."

Komori gulped. Sakusa was dead serious about searching for (Y/N) on his own.

"I'll be fine. Go inform the teachers already."

"Be careful!"

**• • •**

Dusk was falling rapidly. The light drained away; there was barely enough even for shadows. It came sooner than expected, the last of the sun's rays cosseted behind the soft grey cloud.

Sakusa's view slowly faded to blackness, and the night began. He continued following the path back, but there was still no sign of (Y/N). Only trees and more shrubbery surrounded him.

At that moment, it was Sakusa's bones that felt the chill, as if he was walking in the snow instead of autumn leaves, and it was stealing everything that was him.

Even so, his mind was set on one thing; to find (Y/N) and make sure she was safe.

A familiar colour caught his eyes as he briefly scanned the surroundings while walking. If he hadn't stopped for a moment, Sakusa wouldn't have noticed a piece of dim green cloth skewered through a tree branch. It was the same colour as his and (Y/N)'s scarf.

He took the cloth and continued inspecting his surrounding once more. If his intuitions were correct, (Y/N) must've been here.

His anxiety came as an electrical storm in his brain that, quite honestly, was painful. It's different from a headache, and it felt the same as intense sorrow, perhaps as a sort of frozen panic with nowhere to go.

Something horrible happened to (Y/N), and he wasn't quick enough to notice. Now, because of his negligence, (Y/N) was who knows where in the wild. If only, just only, he had paid more attention to her, this wouldn't have happened.

Sakusa's heart felt like it was going to explode, and eyes were wide with fear. He could taste saliva thickening in his throat and beads of sweat trickling down his brow.

But it all slowly vanished when he saw trail of crushed grass behind some shrubbery, which guided down to the foot of the hill. It looked as if someone was recently here. Could it have been (Y/N)?

Without a second thought, he followed the path of crushed grass that strayed from the main trail. The grass could've been crushed by a wild animal, but it also could've been (Y/N).

Sakusa hoped that trusting his intuition was the right thing to do, or he would've been in major trouble.

**• • •**

Waking up was no longer the pleasure it was. (Y/N) lids were drooping and leaden with sleep when it snapped open as violently as if she'd been woken by sirens wailing.

When she roused from a heavy slumber, she was first aware of the coolness of the air and its loamy fragrance. The ground was lumpy as if she were on a bed of earth and rocks. Her clothes felt as damp as a flower in the dew of the dawn.

(Y/N) laid on the ground; her face closed in a grimace. Her eyes have frozen over like the surface of a winter puddle, robbing them of their usual warmth.

Sitting up, she felt a slight ache. The ache was a dull as if some lazy torturer was standing right behind (Y/N), only applying enough pressure to be an annoyance. It sat there, just to the side of the right shoulder blade toward the spine.

She noticed the night had fallen fast upon the land. No more than an hour ago, the sky painted with hues of red, orange and pink, but all colour had faded, leaving only a matt black canvas to be looked upon.

The frigid air made (Y/N) hug her knees close. Autumn air swirled around her, taking every lick of warmth it could. She wrapped his arms tighter around herself, pulling her thin coat closed and tucking her chin downward. Her hair fell loose about her face, tousled, tangled.

(Y/N) tried to recollect the events that happened. She was trying to take a picture of the scenery when suddenly, someone pushed her. At least it felt like a push. She was sure it was a push. The last thing she could remember was a shadowy outline of a person.

Or maybe she was just that clumsy and her clumsiness got her into this mess and now her mind was messing with her by inserting fake images into her memories. (Y/N) ran her hand through her tangled hair and groaned. She didn't know what to think anymore.

"Stupid me," she whispered out. If she had just stayed with the group and paid attention, this wouldn't have happened, and she would've been snug and having fun back at the hotel with everyone.

Not that anyone would notice she was gone, though. They probably wouldn't even notice she disappeared. After all, (Y/N) was only one out of hundreds of students. She would've probably died from frostbite by the time someone did take notice.

She sighed. All she could do was wait it out until someone found her. If she moved from her spot now, she could become even more lost and lessen the chance of someone finding her.

**• • •**

An ungodly amount of time passed, when all of a sudden, she could hear a twig crack in the distance, and then another one.

The sound drew nearer and nearer to her, and she could feel her breathing quicken. Her heart throbbing in fear as she stood up against the cold, wet ground. The sky was hidden above the canopy of the trees, with only one sound to be heard. The sound of her pulse throbbing in her ears.

The silence surrendered to the haunting scream of footsteps, the footsteps approach her, lurking closer. A narrow stream of moon light-filled little areas of the ground as it spotlights, a shadow quickly followed avoiding the light, watching (Y/N).

Could it be a wild animal? A brown bear possibly? The teachers had warned them before walking on the trail that those bears were common and dangerous. They told them that if they ever do encounter one, they should slowly move away from them and do not raise their voice or run.

(Y/N) quickly glanced around, there was nowhere to move. Even if there was, her legs were frozen to the ground. Getting mauled by a bear sounded more agonizing than dying from frostbite.

"How reckless can you get?"

The weight that stacked against her chest slowly crumbled when she heard the familiar voice and remark.

From behind the shadows of the trees emerged a tall figure. The presence of which, made (Y/N)'s frown turn into a bright smile and her eyes glimmer.

"Kiyo!"

"Are you hurt?" Sakusa stepped closer to (Y/N)'s form, careful of the wet ground.

"N-No, I don't think I broke anything." (Y/N) softly mumbled out. "But what are you doing here?"

"Would you rather not have me here?"

"No..."

She never realized how much she missed Sakusa. After what felt like hours, she felt like she was drowning, and there was no hope of being saved. Loneliness ate her alive, swallowing every ounce of hope she had yet to spare.

Doubt shot through her like a piercing arrow destroying resistance. Doubt at her existence. Doubt at if anyone would find her. Worry grew like a corrupted, malicious and perfidy tree. Its branches twisted.

The notion of hope had become meaningless if (Y/N)'s mind should linger on such ideas. They started to feel like cruel tricks, as brutal as any desert mirage.

But when all hope seemed lost, a light always appeared to fill the darkness.

"How are we going to get back?" (Y/N) buried her face into her knees and stared at the fallen leaves in front of her.

Even if Sakusa did appear, they were in the middle of who knows where. It felt as if the light didn't fill the darkness but instead became apart of it.

Hope was lost once more.

"We should stay put. I told Komori to inform the teachers." Sakusa sighed. "How about you? How did you end up here?"

"Um, well, I'm not sure myself. But I think... Someone pushed me..." (Y/N) thought long and hard, coming up with possible suspects that could've pushed her.

The last few people she had interacted with on this trip was Sakusa, Komori; Okane Rei, her roommate; and Hiraoka Nanami, her classmate that (Y/N) was tutoring in English. 

A frown formed under Sakusa's mask. Who could've possibly pushed (Y/N)? There weren't many possible suspects he could think of. A fan girl of his? No, they wouldn't do something that extreme.

There was no time to be in a world of make-believe. Truth to be told, they were in a difficult situation. They were in the middle of nowhere, and there was no signal for their phones, meaning there was no way to get ahold of anyone.

The biting cold chilled Sakusa's fingers into clumsy numbness, the cold seeped into his toes and spread painfully throughout his feet as if it were his bare feet on the pristine icy whiteness rather than sneakers.

If the cold didn't take them out, dehydration or a wild animal might just finish the job.

Hopefully, informing Komori was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IS IT ME OR DOES THE PETRICHOR MAKE YOU GAG SOMETIMES AAAAA-  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	40. my salvation

Wait. Wait. Sounded easy, right? Full bladder. Thirsty. Hungry. Cold. Aching muscles. Agitated. (Y/N) couldn't understand how Sakusa was so calm and collected in their current situation.

The way he spoke, there was no rush nor tension in his voice. It remained unwavering and relaxed as if he had the whole situation under control. He was busy inspecting their surroundings before resting his eyes upon the black sky that was illuminated by remarkable, distant stars.

There was absolute stillness. No air stirred the grass or leaves. No clouds drifted in the sea of blue above. No water dripped or flowed. Not a sound could be heard either close at hand or in the far off distance. It was an eerie sort of tranquillity, so instead of being soothed their senses, it became heightened.

The stillness made (Y/N) feel uneasy. She could feel it building like an unstoppable snowball in the pit of her stomach. The next step was her heart starting to beat harder and faster, adrenaline levels rise, and her brain started to fire out negative thoughts like a machine gun. The negative thoughts kept coming like waves on rocks. The arguments in her head got so fast and so disturbing that her brain shut down her body.

"You know, Kiyo." she quietly breathed out and shifted her gaze to Sakusa, who raised one of his eyebrows. "If we don't make it out alive, I just wanted to say... I don't regret meeting you, and I enjoyed being your friend."

She took a deep breath of the frigid air and redirected her gaze back to the ground. It's been forever and many months since they last spoke like they were children once again. At that time, they had become new people.

(Y/N) liked to think back when they were children. How shy and uncomfortable Sakusa was back then. With cheeks that always seemed flushed and curls that did a lively dance when he ran. The happy memory unfolded as the pages of a beloved childhood storybook, making (Y/N) smile to herself.

Sakusa was more than a childhood friend. But at the same time, he wasn't simply just a good friend. The time (Y/N) spent with him made her realize, he had always been a part of her soul.

They sat under the stars, which were like a beautiful, surreal blanket above their heads. In every direction, there was a star that lit up the eerie darkness of the night. The milky speckles twirled and danced along the sky in various patterns, tugging at the corners of (Y/N)'s lips in a way that almost made her smile. It was hard to shove aside the worries corrupting her mind, but eventually, she just... stopped thinking.

_*Crack*_

In the distance, (Y/N) could hear something crack and whipped her head around to face Sakusa, who also noticed the sound. "What was that?"

There was the kind of silence that fell right before you got knifed in the back. It sent a shiver down (Y/N)'s spine, and she soon felt her blood chill in her veins. Even the trees seemed not to rustle as if they were tense with nerves for what was to come. She could describe it as creepy, but eerie was closer to it.

Suddenly, a thick branch fell from the sky and landed right in front of (Y/N), just barely missing her. It made her screech something incoherent and jumped into Sakusa's arms.

"EeEeEEeEk!"

(Y/N) clung onto him like it depended on her life, as she internally but clearly freaked out. Sakusa widened his eyes and stayed speechless at the sudden contact.

"We're gonna die!" (Y/N) whisper-shouted.

"You're not going to die."

The two fell back when they heard a voice in the distance, responding to (Y/N)'s statement. "There's a ghost! We're haunted! This forest's haunted!"

As she tightened her grip around Sakusa, a shadowy figure appeared from behind the trees.

"AAaAaaaAAarRrgGGhHh!"

"I found them!" The shadowy figure moved closer to them, and below the moonlight revealed a man in a bright orange coat.

After his shout, a few more people in bright orange coats followed suit and appeared before (Y/N) and Sakusa.

Relief washed through Sakusa's body when he saw those people in bright orange coats, meaning they were from the rescue team that was dispatched to find them.

Of course, Komori was able to do it.

**• • •**

Voices babbled quietly like a mountain river. Back at the beginning of the park, students huddled together to share their warmth as the paramedics came. Teachers and authorities conversed with one another about the situation as (Y/N), and Sakusa got checked up on by paramedics.

Sitting in the ambulance was no better than being cornered at a bus stop by a well-meaning stranger. The paramedic made small talk while they checked (Y/N)'s vitals, occasionally shooting her a tempered smile.

After telling her that she was just lucky enough to barely avoid hypothermia and any more excess injuries other than her shoulder, they left her sitting inside the ambulance with a blanket draped over her shoulders as they went to report her conditions to the teachers.

The blanket was thin, and the night was cold. (Y/N) savoured the warmth that the blanket radiated since it offered her a sense of safety as opposed to her previous state of mess.

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)!" She turned her head to the voice to see Komori jogging up to her while frantically flailing his arms around.

"Komori?"

"I'm so thankful you're alright!" Komori says and burst into dramatic tears.

"Well, that's thanks to Kiyo. Without him, I don't think I would've made it out unharmed." (Y/N) chuckled. "Um, where is he anyway?"

"He's getting scolded by a teacher for doing something dangerous on his own."

(Y/N)'s eyes shifted to where Sakusa and a teacher stood. His face displayed zero emotions as the teacher reprimanded him of his irrational behaviour and making decisions on his own accord.

Her mouth twisted into a frown as she clenched her fist. Sakusa shouldn't be blamed and reprimanded for her mess. If anything, she deserved the scolding. All of that wouldn't have happened if she followed Komori's advice and stayed with the group like she was supposed to.

"Excuse me, Komori-kun," A feeble voice cut in as (Y/N) continued explaining what happened to Komori. "I need to talk to (L/N)-kun."

"Sasaki-sensei!"

They both shifted their attention to their school counsellor, who acted as one of their supervisors during the trip.

"I'll take my leave then. Well, see you later (Y/N)!" Komori merrily waved at her before turning to face Sasaki-sensei and bowing. "Please excuse me."

(Y/N) watched as he hurried away and down the rubbled floor until his figure was too far to recognize in the dark.

"You wanted to speak, Sasaki-sensei?"

The charcoal-haired man quickly snapped his attention back to (Y/N), clearing his throat before taking out a notepad from his pocket. "Ahem, so do you remember what happened?"

"What happened?" (Y/N) pursed her lips and carefully stroked her chin. "I'm not completely sure except for the fact that someone pushed me. I think that's what happened. After that, I'm not sure how I strayed from the path..."

"So someone pushed you? I see..." Sasaki-sensei scribbled her words into his notepad and flipped through a few pages, widening his eyes once he saw how the newfound information connected everything.

"Is everything alright, sensei?"

Sasaki-sensei suddenly snapping his notepad closed, creating a loud sound that startled (Y/N).

"I think I understand what happened now. I'll be right back."

Before she could protest, Sasaki-sensei swiftly walked away, confusing (Y/N) with what he was going to do with the information. She wasn't left hanging for long when Sasaki-sensei finally came back but not by himself. The sight of which made (Y/N)'s eyes widened and jaw drop.

"(Y/N)-kun, this is Okane Rei, your roommate and otherwise now known as your saviour. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haikyuu ended (i'm late) and i just wanted to take this time to say a short thank you note to Furudate 😖  
> -  
> thank you Furudate for creating a masterpiece that evoked so many different emotions out of me that i didn't even know. after reading and watching Haikyuu, you showed me that Volleyball was more than a sport where the ball was tossed in the air. i'm going to be crying eternally in my hellhole now ;-;  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	41. dead eyes

**WARNING: LOTS OF SWEARING UP AHEAD AND TRIGGERING TOPICS! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!**

_"My... saviour?"_

(Y/N)'s mind surged with perplexity, and she wore a puzzled expression. How could her roommate be her saviour when she was a possible suspect for the push. It just didn't click.

As Okane drew nearer to the two, (Y/N) noticed an ominous hooded person tagging along with her. Who was it? Their head lowered, and their hands stuffed inside their pockets. They finally stopped in front of (Y/N) and Sasaki-sensei with Okane.

"Since everyone's here, let's begin our-" Sasaki-sensei was not able to finish his sentence before another teacher called him over.

"Sasaki-san! We have a bit of a problem here!" A fellow teacher yelled out and waved his arms.

"Ah! I'll be right there!" Sasaki-sensei shouted back. "I'll let you girls talk it out first."

Shortly after he left, there was an uneasy silence between the three. It was poisonous in its nothingness, cruelly underscoring how vapid their conversation had become without Sasaki-sensei. All three waited for one of them to speak up first, but no one dared to try.

"So... why did you push me, Okane?" (Y/N) quickly gulped and averted her gaze from Okane's. If no one was going to start talking, she might as well get to the point. It was useless to lie now.

Then, a look of shocked surprise came into the face of Okane, and (Y/N) wondered why, until she realized that she had crossed her arms and was laughing uproariously. Her laughter rippled through the tense air, shocking (Y/N).

What was so funny about a grave moment like this?

Her mind was sent reeling, unable to comprehend or process the images and sounds that were being sent by her eyes and ears. Her lips curled, and her nostrils flared, how could Okane laugh so freely at a situation so grave when it could get her expelled from school.

"I pushed you?" Okane scoffed after calming down from her fit of laughter. "You got the wrong person."

"Huh?"

(Y/N) eyed her weirdly as her thought process went haywire. _"I got the wrong person...?"_

"If you want to know who really pushed you, it's this girl over here."

Okane jabbed her thumb to her left, pointing at the hooded figure that had turned to face the ground.

"There's no point hiding your face now." She crossed her arms, sluggishly rolling her eyes.

Just as Okane said that the hooded figure slowly took off their hood, revealing a certain face that made (Y/N) widen her eyes and clasp her hand over her mouth.

"H-Hiraoka?"

Hiraoka clicked her tongue. "What a fucking snitch. Who knew a lonely bitch like you could talk."

"Call me what you want, at least I'm not a two-faced swine." Okane smiled in retaliation, aggravating Hiraoka, who changed her face into a deeper scowl.

"Why...?" (Y/N) quietly breathed out, making Okane and Hiraoka briefly stop insulting each other to look at her. "Why did you do it?"

"Pfft, did you really think I would think of you as a friend?" It was weird. Hiraoka was like a completely different person compared to the one (Y/N) knew. Her sweet, gentle demeanour quickly perished. She emitted pure malice, malice that she kept so skillfully hidden. No wonder (Y/N) couldn't detect it at all.

"Such a shame. I thought you'd be much dumber. Of course, you wouldn't have figured it was me if this bitch didn't snitch." Hiraoka bitterly sneered.

"So.. it was all an act?" (Y/N) refused to acknowledge that this was all Hiraoka's doing. No, it couldn't be.

Trusts were broken, lies were told. Things were creeping into (Y/N)'s body. Her mind was on fire, and her thoughts were burning. Her shoulders were tremendously heavy, weighing her down, and leaving her paralyzed with rushing hot blood. Pressure filled her head as her eyes brimmed with tears. A lump in her throat formed, making her unable to convey anything else.

The betrayal of the person she cared and trusted for, or she thought, left her abandoned. (Y/N) looked into the eyes of the wielder. It was her friend from so long ago. The eyes that were once filled with so much purpose and love, were now replaced with bitterness and hate. The only thing that showed any resemblance to the old friend was the shell the bitter soul inhabited. Her old friend was gone.

"Hah, what's with that expression." Hiraoka smoothed her hand through her hair before sardonically smiling. "Of course, it was an act. Are you a moron?"

(Y/N) could honestly say she didn't hate anyone, she never had. She guessed that made her a freak in this world. Even in betrayal, the mechanism to turn it into hatred failed, instead, her mind sought to understand their behaviour from a compassionate point of view.

Why did they do it? What is it about them that lead them to such a horrible decision?

But finally, (Y/N) grew cold and her thoughts came to stop. Her mind went clear, and suddenly she saw that there is nothing for her in this relationship anymore.

"I never thought of you as a friend."

"You used her." An expression as dark as it dipped in the death-shadow found its way onto Okane's face.

"Clearly, but little (Y/N) was too dumb to figure it out anyway." Hiraoka cooed mockingly.

"Why?"

Her expression took a 360-degree turn, taking on a darker look with a deep frown, a drastic change from her overbearing demeanour from before.

"You're such a bitch... why... why couldn't it fucking be me?!"

Hate and enmity welled up in Hiraoka's heart, fury itself burned so deep that it ingrained in the tissues. "Why can someone like you have a good relationship with Sakusa-san when he always shuns everyone that approaches him?"

(Y/N)'s eye widened in realization. _"Huh? Are you saying... Hiraoka likes Kiyo?"_

"How come you were allowed to be the manager for the boy's volleyball team when the coach refused everyone that offered!? Huh?!"

Hiraoka's eyes flashed with indignance and anger, much like lightning on a pitch-black night. The way her eyes squinted when she glared at (Y/N) reminded her of a pit viper's slit-like pupils. A burning animosity was developing in Hiraoka's dark orbs, and it was because of (Y/N)'s relation to Sakusa.

All (Y/N) felt was anger. All she felt is that she doesn't want to be friends with anyone at all because then she didn't have to trust anyone. It would be safer. White knuckles formed from clenching her fist too hard, and gritted teeth from the effort to remain silent. Her hunched form exuded an animosity that was like acid - burning, slicing, potent.

_"I told you so. I told you not to trust anyone."_

Suddenly, (Y/N) could feel her anger slowly diffuse only to be replaced by fear, fear of the voice that played in her head.

She could feel the cold sweat drench her skin, the throbbing of her own eyes, the ringing screams vibrating in her ears, and the thumping of her heart against her chest. Her vision slowly blurred only to clear up when she found herself in a dark room.

_"You never listened to what I said and now look at you. Look at the mess you created."_

(Y/N)'s head throbbed. The pain felt like someone had taken a knife to her skull. She leant his head against her hand. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to will the pain to go away.

_"You don't know anything about making friends and are bound to mess it up. It only proves how incapable you are."_

"Shut up... shut up... please... go away..." (Y/N)'s choked on her tears as she mumbled those words out. She could feel it, building like an unstoppable snowball in the pit of her stomach. Pure dread. The voice that played in her head made the sweat completely covered her body while her heart felt like it was going to explode.

_"Frankly, it never feels like you can do anything right."_

Her eyes glimmered with watery tears, and she felt as if the whole world was about to crumble.

_"Trust is a fragile thing. They lie to gain your trust only to break you from within. Trust no one but_ **_me_ ** _."_

(Y/N) couldn't escape them or hide from them; they were the worst kind of monster.

"Look at this psycho, talking to herself like that and crying like a baby." Hiraoka sneered at the sight while tears streamed down (Y/N)'s face, her eyes empty as her life.

Okane gritted her teeth. "Stop-"

"Hey! Look at me while I speak to your ugly ass!" Hiraoka grabbed a fist-full of (Y/N)'s hair and yanked her closer. "Listen here, go back to your sad little hellhole with your low-class mom of yours who knows noth-"

_*Crack!*_

The slap was as loud as a clap and stung her face. It had been an open-handed smack, and it had left a red welt behind. Just below her eye was a small cut where a nail had caught her. Hiraoka staggered backwards, clutching her face, eyes watering.

"Y-You fucking dumb bitch! You ass-eating ape!" She shrieked out, still clutching her face.

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" (Y/N) slowly smirked, but her eyes remained the same, devoid of any emotions. The change of atmosphere made Hiraoka shudder while remaining silent as cold sweat ran down her back.

"You really had the audacity to say all that crap? Maybe next time, you should be careful of what you say so you don't end up describing yourself. I pity you."

"I don't need your pity! Your mother is a whore! A slut!"

"If you dare say another word about my mom, I'll make sure you'll never be able to walk while you feel excruciating pain that would make you rather die. Got it?"

(Y/N) emitted such hostile intent, it made Okane swiftly gulp and back away slowly. Chills ran down her spine, and her heart spasmed in her chest erratically.

"You're an eyesore to boot. A complete waste of time. I'm leaving." (Y/N) sneered as she turned around to leave.

"Hey! Hey, don't you dare turn your fucking back on me! Y-You shitface!" Hiraoka screamed, but Okane grabbed onto her shoulder, preventing her from chasing after (Y/N).

"You've done enough damage."

As (Y/N) walked away, a tear escaped her eyes only to slowly produce more until salty drops fell from her chin and drenched her shirt. She was trembling. She couldn't stop... she couldn't stop. Why could she not stop crying?

(Y/N) was scared. Terrified of what her past held, all the memories that seemed to never escape her. But most of all, she was scared of herself.

They were pinpoint needles, piercing her skin. She couldn't scream or fight back. She had to endure the pain as the picture of his face flashed through her mind.

Memories were the soul torturer of the girl. Along with her recent outburst, they reminded her what kind of monster she was and how she would never escape **it**.

Finding her way into the empty bus, she sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest while wrapping her arms around her shins. If only she could just curl up into a ball, she wouldn't have to face real life.

But she'd still have to live with herself, with the wretched memories swirling around in her head. Her eyes, already red and puffy from crying, squeezed shut to push more tears out. She let her head fall to her knees, and she pulled her legs closer to herself.

No matter what she did, there was nowhere she could hide from the thoughts in her head or her past.

Her memories were like a void. A dark void. A never-ending dark void that consumed everything, so she was left feeling nothing.

Empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeee why did i take so long on this chapter ):  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	42. sparkling starlights

The air was rather cold as Sakusa walked through the lobby with his coat draped over his shoulders.

The tension that had kept him from sleeping melted into nothing once he stepped into the lobby of the hotel. Except for his faint footsteps, there was a comfortable silence that surrounded him like a fresh, pristine, white blanket of snow on a winter day.

The sensation of being alone made him feel at ease as the lobby was free of germ-filled humans and unnecessary loud noises. Even the staff members weren't present, despite having a 24/7 reception. It was just him and his thoughts, exactly what he needed. Peace.

After a long day of being constantly on edge, he never thought he would feel serenity once more. Frost grew on the windows as he opened the door to the outside world, breathing in a generous amount of the lung-chilling air. He wrapped his scarf snuggly around his neck and threw on his coat before continuing outside.

There was absolute stillness. No air stirred the grass or leaves and no clouds drifted in the sea of dark blue above. No water dripped or flowed. Not a sound could be heard either close at hand or in the far off distance.

For some reason, on that day, a fluttering sensation inside his body told him something was waiting for him outside and urged him to go check it out. It kept him awake, and he couldn't shake it off.

Sakusa quietly groaned to himself. When did he ever let an urge control him, even allowing it to prevent him from getting his beauty sleep? Usually, ignoring such feelings would do the trick, but this time, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Stepping outside, he spotted a shadowy figure sitting on the bench. Their back was hunched over while they hugged their knees, their chin resting on the knees as they stared into the velvety, dark blue sky.

It wasn't until he got closer could he see the recognizable face of (Y/N), which was illuminated by the moon above. It made her skin glow and (E/C) eyes twinkle like the stars that filled the sky on a cloudless night. A sense of serenity plastered across her face. It freed her from all her pain and problems, even if it was only temporary.

Alluringly, she would blink her eyes from time to time, allowing her eyelashes to flutter like the wings of a butterfly. To Sakusa, her eyes were simply spellbinding. In the renewed silence, only her eyes glowed like they were made of stardust and then cut out of the sky.

"Couldn't sleep?"

(Y/N) snapped out of her trance and blinked a few a times before whipping her head around to see Sakusa's tall figure. "Kiyo! What are you doing up at this hour? Are you alright?"

"I could ask you the same question." The frigid air made Sakusa's breath visible as he spoke and slowly neared (Y/N).

"Ah. I'm alright... just couldn't sleep."

"...I see."

The silence was comfortable, the silence between two long-time friends. They enjoyed the warmth of companionship, rather than the noise of chattering incessantly as they sat on the rundown bench, watching the stars above them.

For Sakusa, her silence was somehow comforting and spoke for itself. It was peaceful in a way where he could feel at home. He closed his eyes, breathing in the freezing but fresh air. His lungs expand as if on automatic refill, and with the rising of his chest came a sense of calm.

"Wait!" Sakusa snapped his eyes back open at (Y/N)'s sudden yell. "Are you okay? What did they tell you?!"

(Y/N) had almost completely forgotten about the confrontation between Sakusa and the teachers. She was too busy processing what had happened that she forgot to check up on the person who risked his safety and comfort, just to make sure she was safe. Now, he was possibly going to face the consequences because of his selfless actions.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Sakusa says, shrugging and leaned forward in his seat. "Is this about the confrontation between me and the teachers?"

(Y/N) slowly nodded but snapped her head around to face the sky when Sakusa turned around.

"Nothing much, just a bunch of teachers yelling at me all at once."

"That must've been... scary." Getting yelled by a bunch of teachers wasn't something to be taken lightly. It was terrifying, to say the least.

"It wasn't that bad... your situation was far worse than mine."

"You think so?" (Y/N) lightly sighed out.

She looked up and saw the stars. They illuminated the darkness, and temporarily, her fears crumbled to dust beneath her feet. The words, the lies, the hatred, the failures--they now lingered at a distance. The moon under siege by stars seemed to lighten the night bringing forth stars that shone and hung in the blackness.

"Care to explain? You still look troubled, even though the whole situation is over." Sakusa stared at (Y/N) for a while with a raised eyebrow before redirecting his gaze back to his clasped hands. She was sitting tensely on the bench, her back arched, and her eyes focused on the sky.

"Everything was a lie."

"Hm...?"

"The whole time, Hiraoka was faking it.. faking being friends."

"The girl you have been tutoring in English?" The memory was vague, but Sakusa remembered something about (Y/N) tutoring a classmate in English.

He had seen them walk down the halls together, happily chatting away as he walked around, looking for a place to eat his lunch if peace and away from the mass of people.

"...there was always something strange about her."

Sakusa never liked how Hiraoka stuck to (Y/N) all the time. He couldn't even have a proper one-on-one conversation with her without Hiraoka listening in. During volleyball practice was the only time he could speak privately to (Y/N). It was strange as if Hiraoka was intentionally sticking with (Y/N) to hear their conversations.

But when (Y/N) told Sakusa about someone pushing her, his first suspect was Okane.

During the time she had told him and Komori about her roommate, he couldn't help but concern himself with her wellbeing. Was she going to be okay? What if something happened to her because of her roommate? Hate was a strong emotion, after all.

"It was Hiraoka this whole time. She was the one who pushed me. Okane explained everything to me." (Y/N) says, gripping her jeans.

"What did she tell you?"

_Okane quietly sighed to herself as she bent down to pick up her phone that she had dropped._

_The forest was ancient. The trees were thick and old, the roots twisted. It might once have been filled with bird-song and animals that roamed. But now it was aged past its former glory. Its canopy was so dense that Okane could only see the occasional streak of sunlight that rarely touched the forest floor._

_She looked around, but there was no one. She figured her group probably went ahead as she had slowed down to fight the pesky bugs that filled the air, dropping her phone in the process._

_As she picked up her phone, Okane swore she heard a twig crack nearby. At first, she shrugged it off as a small animal passing by, but when the sound got louder and more frequent, she began to rethink. She spun around, looking for the source of the noise, but there was no one except for her._

_Suddenly, she flinched when she heard a faint "ooph", followed by some loud rustling of leaves, more twigs cracking and some curses. Okane deemed noises were too human-like, especially the curses, to be an animal and reckoned that there must have been someone other than her in the area._

_She didn't even need to step off the path before finding a figure lying down on the leaves and twigs that occupied the grass below. "Um... are you okay?"_

_The body slowly lifted their head, revealing a familiar face that made Okane raise her eyebrow. "What are you doing here, Hiraoka?"_

_"Oh great, it's you." Hiraoka sarcastically huffed out while brushing off the leaves that had ebbed their way into her hair during the fall._

_Some people might think Hiraoka was just lost, but if growing up around her taught Okane anything, she knew Hiraoka was up to no good._

_"What did you do this time.?" Okane sighed, already disappointed in whatever Hiraoka did._

_"Just stay quiet and go back to your little unwanted hole."_

_"At least I'm not causing trouble in my 'unwanted' hole. You stayed back to do something to someone did you?"_

_"Shut it. That girl deserved it anyways."_

_"Remember what you did to Tomoko?"_

_"It's not my fault that she had such weak arms that broke easily," Hiraoka hissed back._

_"Right... though I suggest you admit what you just did," Okane warned before jogging ahead and leaving Hiraoka behind, not wanting to involve herself even more in her immoral acts. "It's none of my business."_

_Finally, Okane caught up with the group and heaved out a long, heavy sigh. She took out her phone to check the voice recording that she had turned on during the conversation with Hiraoka but looked up when she overheard the ongoing conversation nearby._

_"What's wrong, Sakusa?" A boy with light brown hair asked._

_"She's not behind us."_

_"(Y/N)?"_

_"So (Y/N) is the name of Hiraoka's new victim..." Okane thought to herself. She watched Sakusa runoff as the light brown-haired boy was left behind spluttering and panicking to himself before running off to where the teachers were._

_"To finally put an end to Hiraoka's acts..." A smile crept onto Okane's face. Finally, after four years of being around Hiraoka, she had enough proof to turn her in._

"I see. That's what happened." Sakusa quietly whispered out.

"But that's alright!" (Y/N) cheekily grinned at Sakusa. "All I need is you as my friend, just like the old times."

_"Just like the old times..."_

When she looked at Sakusa, it was as if every ounce of breath was taken from his lungs, floating into the air like midnight smoke. Every time she smiled at him, it felt like the world stopped, leaving just the two of them to wander the earth together.

He couldn't find his voice. He felt his cheeks flushed hot, and his stomach was heavy. His heart pounded in his throat, threatening to break out.

Sakusa was 10 when he found out (Y/N) was leaving for America. It was as if all their memories and connections fell apart on that day. Their promise to stay together was inevitably broken.

After a few months, he still couldn't let go. The thought of (Y/N) would never leave his mind, and so every day, he would go to the place where they would hang out the most, the place that they had found together.

A cliff that oversaw the city, located deep in their neighbourhood forest. To witness the aerial view of the city at night was like being hailed by the angels, the lights stole their breath away in the most magical way possible.

But after a while, Sakusa told himself she was never going to come back, and his memories of their time together began to fade. He started to play volleyball, letting it fill the void (Y/N) had left in his soul. Although his passion for volleyball fueled his purpose and filled in most of the gap, there was always a space left empty.

Just for her.

So when (Y/N) suddenly returned, it rekindled the flame burning inside of him and brought back the deepest memories Sakusa had thought he had forgotten. With that, the gap left empty was finally filled.

"Look, Kiyo!" (Y/N) suddenly whispered and pointed to the sky. "A shooting star."

Streaking across the indigo sky is a comet, Sakusa watched it, mesmerized. The long tail of icy particles shined in the moonlight. He let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding and lets his shoulders hang loose.

Sakusa glanced at (Y/N) as she gazed up at the night sky, and he knew he had fallen for her, like all the shooting stars above.

He finally admitted to himself what he knew all along, but was too afraid to admit it: he liked (Y/N). A lot. And he wanted to be with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can someone tell me if this chapter was too cheesy cause the more i read it, the more i'll deem it cheesy and keep changing it  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	43. paper hearts

Meeting him was a fate, being his friend; a choice.

Breath pale against the numbing air, (Y/N) blinked thoughtfully as the frost patiently kissed her face, captivated by the soft, dusty illusions of light that sat heavily on her eyelashes. Patches of snow laid untouched on the frosted grass. She adored the snow, more so when it was falling.

She turned her head to face Sakusa but felt the heat rise to her cheeks as Sakusa looked in her direction. He carefully cocked his head to the side when (Y/N) snapped her head away, knowing that if she continued to stare, she would get lost in his sharp eyes. She could feel his eyes still on her as she silently inhaled and exhaled, hoping that his thoughts about her were good.

Sakusa found himself captivated by (Y/N) whose features seemed to glow under the moon and stars above. Her silence was somehow comforting and spoke for itself. It was peaceful in a way where he could feel somewhat at home.

Their passion bonded them together, their laughter and their good times kept them happy. Then (Y/N) went away, and Sakusa ceased to function as he had before. There was a hole, an emptiness where she had been.

As Sakusa was surrounded by different people, tasks, he could still feel her presence, her smile, her silliness. He was never with her, but he found himself with her all the time anyway.

Suddenly, snow danced in the light, a choreographed ballet conducted by the gentle wind. (Y/N) watched her eyes grew that tiny bit wider. Snow in so early? Soon, her eyes slowly returned to normal when she remembered she was in Hokkaido. Of course, it would snow much earlier there than in Tokyo.

She held her palms out as she caught the silvery flakes drifting down, glittering in the bright light of the harvest moon. They fell soundlessly, taking their time before they reached their destined places of rest, enveloping everything in a calm, silent coldness that was comforting in its special way.

"Ah, it's snowing..." Sakusa quietly sighed and tucked his head into his coat. As (Y/N) glanced at him, she could see the colourless, cold confetti of snowfall onto Sakusa's eyelashes and hair. To (Y/N), the sight was too ethereal. The flakes landed onto his raven curls so gracefully. It almost looked like it was placed deliberately.

Seeing him made her heart twirl. Hearing his voice made her stomach flutter. (Y/N) couldn't help but feel this way about him.

She was in love with him. She always was.

Sakusa would never leave her mind. He was always there; mentally if not physically. It was just incomprehensible. He was her one stable force, her one stability in a world filled with chaos and she so desperately needed in her life. He was the one who always looked out for her in a way no one else could do better. She was in love with him, and she couldn't believe she had only just realized it.

The humidity of her heart increased rapidly. There was no looking back. She had fallen in love with a raven-haired germaphobe, and there was nothing she could do but love him with every ounce of her body as it tingled with feelings uncontrollably.

The feeling was so strange; it stretched throughout her whole body. It's overwhelming, yet made her feel complete. It had no bound nor length nor depth; it was just absolute. It felt as though she was in a dangerous fire, yet completely safe at the same time. It felt as though someone had given her peace.

It was strange – frightening even – how she could go from being complete strangers to then being completely infatuated by Sakusa. (Y/N) started to wonder how she would be able to live without him because she was sure as hell couldn't imagine being without him now. She knew they were only young, and most people would consider her to be foolish and naïve, but it was true when she said that she loved him more than she could ever love herself.

Falling in love with him was not planned. They were supposed to be friends, just Sakusa and (Y/N) and nothing in between. But their stars aligned, and a great force pulled them together.

Sakusa watched her like she had the stars in her hands and soft petals at her feet. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let go. But first things first, he had to tell her how he felt, but his nerves were so bad, he shook at just the thought. He was scared, scared of the rejection that might've ensued after his confession. He wasn't even sure if (Y/N) even liked him back.

Years and years of building such a significant friendship only to have it torn down with a simple "no" because of his unrequited feelings.

(Y/N) was all quiet that night, not like her at all, miss chatter herself. Sakusa was used to the long tales, the rambling, the quick wit. He bit his inner lip for just a half-second before sighing, flicking his hair in the fading light of the evening. She spoke before he got the chance.

"I love you."

It felt like liquid adrenaline being injected right into (Y/N)'s bloodstream - just enough to make her nerves quiver.

She had made her big declaration of love, and now the silence lay on her skin like a poison. It seeped into her blood and paralyzed her brain, her pupils became dilated, and there was a tremor in her hands. His face was one of awkwardness, not even hurrying to save her feelings, to fill the void with a non-committal statement of appreciation.

Sakusa turned around to face (Y/N), but too slow to be normal. Her comment was so out of character, so far from what he knew of her, he just stared at her open-mouthed. His brain formulated no thoughts other than to register that he was shocked. He closed his mouth, then looked at his shoes before glancing back up to catch her eye.

"I lik-"

"Gaah!" (Y/N) abruptly stood up and ran her fingers through her hair while pacing back and forth. "I shouldn't have said that! You clearly like someone else..."

An air of befuddled unworldliness wrapped around Sakusa's head like a blanket. He was beyond confused, and his mind went blank as he tried to understand what (Y/N) meant.

_"Like someone else?"_

Had he said something in the past that hinted about him liking someone else? He couldn't remember... that was until after a few seconds of awkward silence, a certain memory popped up.

It was the time when both adolescents were forced to attend a wedding. While they were talking, a girl had approached and asked for his number, but Sakusa promptly turned her away. As the dejected girl walked away, (Y/N) asked him the reason why. Sakusa's brain froze up, and he didn't know what to reply with, resulting in a misunderstood answer.

The reason why he turned that girl away was that his heart was reserved for (Y/N).

"I- I think I should just go now," was all (Y/N) could say while keeping her gaze on the ground before swiftly turning around.

"Oi, wait." Sakusa quickly grabbed onto her sleeves, tugging it gently to stop her from going any further.

(Y/N) turned around to see Sakusa pinching the bridge of the nose with his brows furrowed. His cheeks were kissed pink like a spring rose, the blooming colour was so cute against his skin. Not only his cheeks, but his whole face turned red. Though the ears had been hidden among the messy curls of his hair, it was obvious that they were as rosy as his face.

She had never seen Sakusa blush. He was always stoic, in charge and quite self-assured. So when (Y/N) saw that pink on his face, she knew something serious was afoot. Or maybe it was the cold that was affecting his skin and making it rosy.

"I... I like you too..." Sakusa quietly says, averting his gaze from (Y/N)'s as he released his grip on her sleeves.

There was a delicious moment where (Y/N)'s face washed blank with confusion like her brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information from her wide eyes. Every muscle of her body just froze before a grin crept onto her face. It soon stretched from one side to the other showing every single tooth.

"You're not kidding... right?"

"W-What is there to joke about? D-Don't get the wrong idea..."

"You like me? You really like me?" (Y/N) couldn't believe her ears.

"S-Shut up... I told you not to get the wrong idea..."

(Y/N)'s heart thumped so hard that she swore it was audible, their eyes had met, and she swore she could see a smile form on Sakusa's face. His cheeks slightly lifting upwards was enough to tell her he was smiling. It was only a small smile, but it was enough to make her go weak at the knees.

Her blush burned through her cheeks, and her face felt like a hot oven. She suddenly felt awkward as she attempted to hide her cheeks behind her fingers.

A satisfaction, as if having completed a deeply, personally needed action; expressed by the slightest curve at the mouth's corner and youthful confidence worn in a slight raise of the eyebrow above a quizzical, joyful eye.

(Y/N) moved her hands away from her face before looking at Sakusa straight in the eyes with a deep curve on her lips that made the world stop around her. A smile that brought back a million memories in a split second.

"I'm glad you feel the same way, Kiyo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> going on semi-hiatus for a bit  
> \---------------  
> [you can mostly find me here! <3](https://www.wattpad.com/user/cozziness)


	44. bittersweet

Red, orange and yellow, in various shades. All of them floated gracefully on the soft breeze. Whispers between leaves filled the air, whispers and mutters. The air was cool and crisp, like a refreshing drink of cool water after chewing mint-flavoured gum. The breeze fluttered around, gently caressing everything it touched with fingers that had been a comfort to so many over their long, lonely years.

(Y/N) felt her eyes slowly ease shut as she basked in the gentle rays of the blooming sun. On that day, the sun was just as bright, yet bringing more warmth than before. There was a crunch to the snow as the melt began—beneath were the slippery ice and the compacted snow.

It was hard to believe it had just snowed that night when all the snow quickly melted away.

"There you are!"

She opened her eyes to see Komori leaning over her with a wide smile.

"Woah, you and Sakusa look exhausted! It makes me wonder what you guys had done last night to look this tired... Don't tell me-!" Komori leaned away, faking a gasp as (Y/N) pushed herself off the bench she was sitting on and pointed at him.

She felt the heat bloom on her cheeks as she stammered out a response. "You better not get the wrong idea!"

"I'm just kidding," he replied playfully.

"When did you begin teasing like Matsushima? It seems like he's been really rubbing off on you..."

"Anyways, I'm here to congratulate you! It must've taken a lot of guts to confess like that."

"So you do know what actually happened last night." (Y/N) covered her face with both of her hands, unable to face the embarrassing memory replaying through her head.

"Of course! Sakusa ended up telling me after I caught him coming back in the middle of the night. Boy, the look on his face when I asked him about it! It was unforgettable."

She couldn't tell if that was supposed to be a good or bad thing.

"I didn't expect him to tell anyone that quickly..." Knowing Sakusa, he would've wanted the whole thing to be kept a secret or at least discreet. The fact that Komori knew so easily showed how much Sakusa trusted him.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Who knows what Sakusa would do to me if I told anyone..." Komori shuddered at the thought of Sakusa's ice-quiet fury.

(Y/N) sighed and rubbed her bleary eyes. She slightly regretted staying up that night, but her brain had refused to cooperate.

As she lied on the bed, getting ready to rest for the night, liquid adrenaline still flowed through her. It made her tingle and move around as if she was dancing in bed. A smile crept, and the air grew thick with a tenderness that couldn't help but make her breathe slower, deeper, happier. So it finally happened.

Now, she was facing the consequences. But if anything, she wouldn't say she completely regretted staying up that night. She quietly thanked herself for staying up that night because if she didn't, perhaps her feelings would have never been revealed.

"Speaking of which, where is Kiyo?" (Y/N) asked.

"I haven't seen him since this morning when I left our room." Komori stuffed his hands into his pockets. The cold that had seemed mild at first now numbed his face and hands. "Maybe he's waiting in the lobby?"

"It's starting to get cold again. We should head back inside."

"Good idea."

Upon entering the lobby, they immediately spied the raven-haired man they were looking for. Hiding away from the crowd of people that gathered, he stood with a drained face, indicative of the lack of sleep he got that night.

His mask may have been covering half of his face, but his eyes showed enough emotions for people to tell. Sour and almost unapproachable.

"You're finally awake," Komori laughed, a little too loud for Sakusa's comfort.

Sakusa scowled. "Shut up. You should have woke me up before you left."

"Well, you're here now. No need to get mad. (Y/N) is here, you should be jumping with joy!"

"I'm not mad, and what does (Y/N) have to do with—"

Komori raised his brows as a suggestive look adorned his face. Sakusa sighed. He felt sluggish. His movements were slower than usual, and his body felt heavy.

(Y/N) snickered at the interaction between the two. "Now, now, it's our last day in Hokkaido. We can't ruin it."

"You're so right (L/N)!"

That recognizable voice popped out of nowhere, slightly startling the trio. Before anyone could say anything, Matsushima had rested his arm onto Komori's shoulder. "Hey, hey!"

"Matsushima! It's been a while. We haven't seen you this whole trip." (Y/N) cheerfully greeted as usual.

"Yep! It's been pretty fun so far. I really wanted to go skiing, but the teachers wouldn't let me." Matsushima clenched his fist and brought it up to his chest as if he was dramatically crying.

"I'm sure you did lots of fun things that could replace skiing though. Anyways, what brings you here so suddenly?"

"Ah, I'm here to congratulate you two."

As soon as he said those words, all three of them cock their heads in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about—"

"You know, you and Sakusa." Matsushima pointed between the two.

Immediately, Sakusa glared at Komori, who could feel the gaze burning into his head. "I promise it wasn't me!"

"Sorry, I may have heard your conversation last night. I couldn't help but listen in." Matsushima nervously laughed, rubbing his neck in the process.

"How much did you hear?" Sakusa asked, words dripping with venom.

"Only the confession part, I swear."

(Y/N) couldn't help but bury her face into her hands again. The embarrassment was just too great.

"Why were you even out so late?" Komori couldn't help but interject with a question.

"I was hungry, you see." Matsushima cheekily grinned.

"That late?"

"It's never too late for food."

Komori deeply sighed. The secret between Sakusa and (Y/N) was in the hands of the most unreliable person he had known. A blabbermouth that couldn't keep a single secret for life.

"Don't worry about it. I'll keep my lips shut!" Matsushima performed a zipping motion with his hands along his lips and threw away what was presumably a key.

Sakusa could only give him an ice-quiet glare, knowing his ability to keep a secret was almost comparable to a kid. No, a kid could keep a secret better than him. Komori nervously laughed. So much for that statement.

"Well then, I better get going now. Shiroma-kun is probably looking for me now. See ya!" Matsushima waved at the three before scurrying off to find his friend.

For a moment, the three stood in silence. (Y/N) was still busy languishing about the moments before. Sakusa stood there, contemplating his life decisions and how he should keep Matsushima's mouth shut for good. Komori couldn't help but keep silent. The aura Sakusa was emitting made him think about his words carefully.

"Well, I guess we can only wait and see what happens." Komori lowly chuckled, already knowing the result of that. "We can worry about him later. Like (Y/N) said, it's our last day. We should be having fun instead."

Komori's words were somewhat enough to coax (Y/N) out of embarrassment. He was right. There wasn't much time to waste.

"You're right," (Y/N) says, taking a deep breath. "We don't have time to dwell on those thoughts. We should be having fun right now."

"That's the spirit!" Komori cheered.

Sakusa groaned. How could those two be so stupidly positive? It was almost unrealistic.

At that moment, the teachers announced that it was time to depart; their first stop, Lake Touya.

**•••**

A deep sense of serenity overcame (Y/N) as she stared in rapture at the expanse of blue that laid before her. Rays of lights danced delicately across the water, birthed from the afternoon sun that both limited her sight and made the view all the more beautiful.

For a while, they wandered Usu eruption Memorial Park, watching people take pictures with the artwork and even taking a few themselves. People leisurely strolled along the shore of the lake, lapped by the gentle waves until it was time for them to go to their next destination.

To end it off for the evening, they went to a small town called Niseko. Students were free to roam and do whatever they wanted until it was time to board the train back to Tokyo.

The streets were filled with a light layer of snow, crunching under the soles of (Y/N)'s shoes as she wandered the road. She had no idea where she was going, but she didn't mind as it was part of exploration fun. At last, she found herself on a street full of shops, each one enticing her to go in more and more.

It wasn't until she spotted this one shop that made her stop in her tracks. It was the kind of shop you wondered about, that you felt your soles move toward as if in thereupon a shelf was a piece of your own life puzzle.

She took a step inside and found herself in a regular souvenir shop. There was nothing special about it, so why did it allure her so much?

Wandering down the aisles, she looked at every item she could spot. They were the usual magnets, postcards, ornaments, and more things you could find in every other souvenir shop.

Finally, she stopped in front of the area where they sold clothing. T-Shirts, sweaters, hats, they had it all. (Y/N) didn't need any of that, so why would she stop there.

As she turned around to leave, the clogs in her brain began to move, and she remembered something she needed to do.

The scarf she had been borrowing from Sakusa was ruined, ripped into shreds. (Y/N) couldn't help but feel guilty about it despite Sakusa's dismissal of her promise of buying a new one. It wasn't much, but the scarf was better than no scarf.

On the shelves, there were many colours to select from. Black to white and blue to red, (Y/N) couldn't choose.

Shuffling beside her, she felt a familiar presence. Glancing beside her, she saw Okane looking at the shelves of mittens.

"Okane, you're buying something too?" (Y/N) asked, slightly startling Okane, who didn't notice her.

"Oh, yeah. My mittens are ruined, so I was thinking of just buying some here. Didn't expect you here too." Okane softly mumbled. "What are you looking for?"

"A scarf replacement for Kiyo."

"Sakusa?"

"Mhm, but I have no idea which colour I should buy..." (Y/N) frowned, looking over the options of colours again. "At first, I thought black would match him but seeing that he already wears a lot of blacks felt a bit repetitive."

"How about red?" Okane says, still picking out some mittens from the shelf.

"Red, you say..." (Y/N) tried to imagine Sakusa in a red scarf. It seemed a bit too bold on him.

"Doesn't Sakusa have another scarf already though? Why not get him something else?" Okane held up a bobblehead figurine of a deer.

"I'm not sure what to get him... what if he doesn't like it?" (Y/N) whined out.

"He's bound to like if it's from you," Okane says nonchalantly, picking out a pair of mittens that she finally liked. "I found the mittens I wanted, so I'll be going now. Good luck."

(Y/N) was left mystified on what to give Sakusa. It wasn't until she wandered deeper into the shop that she found something that she could give him.

**•••**

"What's this?" Sakusa asked (Y/N) as she handed him a small brown paper bag.

Digging through the paper bag, he lifted out a small trinket of what was supposedly a crescent moon. Like coruscating diamonds, the exquisite object glittered attractively in the light. A magnificent rainbow aurora surrounded it, giving off an ethereal glow.

Sakusa didn't know what it was for, but the smile (Y/N) gave him was the most beautiful jewel he had ever come across and well, he couldn't bring himself to say anything bad about the trinket.

"Thanks... but why the sudden gift?" he asked, giving her a questioning look. Was there a motive behind her gift?

"It reminded me of you when I went to this shop. I wanted to get you something since I ruined your scarf..."

"I told you, you didn't need to replace it or anything. It was just a scarf." Sakusa sighed.

"So you don't like it?" (Y/N) looked at him as her smile dropped. The glimmer in her eyes slowly faded.

"No... I like it."

Sakusa could see her eyes light up again once he said that. He still didn't know what to do with it but since it was from (Y/N), it didn't hurt to keep it. The more he looked at it, the more he could see how much it shined.

Sakusa held the trinket in his outstretched hand, and it laid there just as light as a common pebble. It gleamed as bright as the sun's rays lighting the ocean at dawn—radiant and shining.

He placed it into his pockets for safekeeping as they got onto the train back to Tokyo. As he sat down, he slid his hand into his pockets to feel the small trinket. Knowing that it was still safe in his pocket made him feel relieved.

Just as Okane said, he was bound to like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy holidays everyone !! ヾ(｡･ω･｡)
> 
> this took longer than i expected but it's finally out
> 
> just wanted to let everyone know that this fic isn't abandon !! just extremely slow updates since i want to focus on my academics, thank you for understanding <3


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